Karnataka ministers will have to resign if ‘some’ documents are released: HD Kumaraswamy

Hitting out at the Siddaramaiah-led government in Karnataka on a host of issues, including 'corruption', JD(S) leader and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Saturday said if he released the documents in his possession, six to seven state Ministers will have to resign.

Also Read - ‘Bengaluru pubs not playing English or Hindi music': Man claims activists forcing to play Kannada songs

He claimed that the Congress administration was trying to "fix" him in some cases, after he began cornering the state government in connection with some alleged irregularities and started discussing them in public. "Siddaramaiah had accused (previous BJP government) of being a 40 per cent commission govt and came to power. Today his own party is saying after this government came to power it is more than 40 per cent (commission). Mr Siddaramaiah, did people give you power for this?" Kumaraswamy asked.

Addressing reporters here, he said, "I have things (with me), I'm not running away. If I release the documents I have, six to seven Ministers will have to resign...I will release, will not run away with fear, no hit and run...." Targeting the CM on the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment case, the JD(S) state president asked, "If he (Siddaramaiah) had no role in the Mysuru (MUDA) scam, then why are certain decisions are being made by the cabinet hurriedly?" citing the government withdrawing general consent given to CBI to investigate cases in the State.

Also Read - ‘Mandate writing doctor prescriptions in Kannada’: KDA urges Karnataka government

Accusing the government of bringing in a new kind of legal system in the state as per which arrests are being made in several cases just because someone gives a complaint , he said, "but in your (Siddaramaiah) case despite 48 hours, after the court issued directions, FIR was not registered." The Lokayukta police on Friday registered an FIR against Siddaramaiah and others in the MUDA site allotment case, following a Special Court in Bengaluru ordering a probe against him. Charging the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and Home Minister G Parameshwara with using the police department and officials, in their efforts to end few people politically, Kumaraswamy asked, "how many officials have you promised Bengaluru Commissioner, CID chief posts? and what are you making them do for it?" ".....in the last one year, before I joined hands with the BJP and from the day I started targeting your government, how many meetings have you held at officials and ministers level? Don't I have information as to what you are up to?" he questioned.

Kumaraswamy had on Friday appeared before the Lokayukta police for questioning in connection with a land denotification case. Noting that he had voluntarily appeared before Lokayukta police, the Union Minister alleged that wrong information was spread among a section of media that Lokayukta had served him a notice, to divert the attention of the public from the CM's case that is in the limelight. "Gangenahalli denotification case is just for diversion nothing else, they (govt) can't do anything (to me) further in the case... I have signed a file, but I have not ordered denotification. I had said in the noting on the file I signed that after scrutinizing legally, see what action can be taken (to officials). I have not said to denotify. Let them (govt) do any probe, I'm not worried," he said.

Hitting out at the CM for claiming that BJP and JD(S) were conspiring to destabilise his government, Kumaraswamy, also a former Chief Minister, said people gave Siddaramaiah/Congress the mandate for five years, "but what are you doing? I have pain that today no discussion is happening in the state on developmental issues or on issues concerning people." "What has got prominence in Karnataka today is the police department and some scam related issues," he said. Kumaraswamy also accused Lokayukta's ADGP SIT M Chandrashekhar of corruption and demanded the IPS officer’s suspension, while blaming the state government for misusing the state machinery.

He said, "An inspector working under him had accused Chandrashekhar of demanding ₹20 crore... another person who was harassed by him had even filed a detailed complaint before the then Home Secretary." The union minister further said, Chandrashekhar is the officer who had recently sought permission to probe Raj Bhavan officials and secretariat to identify the point of leakage of information pertaining to the pending prosecution sanction request by Lokayukta to the Governor against some opposition leaders.

He said that he will soon submit all documents to the Union Home Secretary and complain against Chandrashekar. According to sources, Chandrashekhar heads the Lokayukta SIT, which is probing a case in which Kumaraswamy is accused of illegally granting mining permission to a "dubious" company.