Corruption is relative of BJP, JD(S): K'taka Deputy CM D K Shivakumar

Ramanagara: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday hit out at the saffron party leaders saying corruption was the blood relative of opposition BJP and JD(S).

Speaking at the ‘Janandolana’ event, a riposte to BJP’s Padayatra, at Ramanagara, Shivakumar said corruption is the father, mother, brother, sister and relative of BJP and JD(S). The people of the state have given 135 seats for my leadership and 19 seats for Kumaraswamy’s leadership.” Shivakumar was reacting to the BJP and JD(S) Padayatra to Mysuru which kicked off on Saturday from Bengaluru. The opposition parties have organised the march to protest the MUDA alternative site (plot) scam in which Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife is allegedly a beneficiary.

The CM has junked the charge, saying MUDA had grabbed his wife’s four acre land and formed a layout without acquiring it.

Hence, it compensated it by giving her land in up market.

“I had asked certain questions to Kumaraswamy at Bidadi on Friday. Kumaraswamy had hinted that the military would be deployed to put him in jail. I have seen Tihar jail too. I have seen the cases you have orchestrated against me and my family. After all this, the people of the state have given 135 seats to my leadership,” the Deputy CM said.

He charged that Union Minister for Steel and Heavy Industries Kumaraswamy had falsely accused him of being behind the distribution of pen drive purportedly containing the alleged sexual assault videos of former Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna.

Now, Kumaraswamy is saying that former BJP MLA Preetham Gowda was behind distributing the pen drives.

“Kumaraswamy had said that he would not participate in the Padayatra because Preetham Gowda was involved. Why is he participating now?” he questioned.

“Why is the BJP silent on Kumaraswamy’s allegation that Preetham Gowda was involved? Why is the Prime Minister, who talks of women safety, not talking about it? I urge them to talk about it now,” he demanded.

On BJP state president B Y Vijayendra’s allegation that Shivakumar was the father of corruption, the latter sought to know why Vijayendra’s father and former CM B S Yediyurappa went to jail.

“Why did his father resign after shedding tears? Why did the Governor give permission to prosecute him when he was the CM? He should answer these questions,” Shivakumar said.

The Deputy CM alleged that the opposition parties were trying to destabilise the Congress government by November or December.

However, the Congress government is not so fragile to break easily.

“They can’t do anything to the government headed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and me. They are daydreaming,” he added.