Kumaraswamy targets CM Siddaramaiah over police misconduct; criticises govt’s handling of K’taka issues
Bengaluru – On Saturday, Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy took a hard line against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, saying serious police crimes tend to surface whenever the CM’s administration is in office. He spoke to reporters after the NDA coordination committee meeting in Bengaluru.
“Whenever Siddaramaiah becomes Chief Minister, some police personnel themselves get involved in theft and criminal activities. During his earlier five-year term, cash was looted from a bus in Bilkere near Mysuru. A police officer was involved. Recently, in the ATM cash-van robbery case too, a policeman was involved,” he said.
Kumaraswamy also slammed the conditions at Bengaluru Central Prison.
“Everyone knows what goes on in Parappana Agrahara. Even smartphones reach terrorists. Another minister recently visited the prison – after his visit, a distillery operating inside the jail was uncovered. What did he go there to check?” he said, referring to Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar’s visit.
When the CM accused the BJP and JD(S) of lying, Kumaraswamy countered that Siddaramaiah behaved as if “he alone is a Sathya Harishchandra.”
He urged restraint around caste and religious tensions, noting that ministers might hold personal views but “there should be no religious conflict.” He added that the two NDA partners would jointly bring up North Karnataka issues at the Belagavi session starting December 8.
Citing flood‑hit districts and perceived government indifference, he complained, “People have lost property and homes. The state government has not come to their aid. It only keeps blaming the Centre,” and said BJP–JD(S) MLAs would oppose the decision not to release Tungabhadra water for a second crop.
On the intra‑Congress leadership tussle he warned that religious leaders should stay out of politics. “Politicians may engage in politics, but pontiffs must give up the obsession of expressing opinions in favour of one individual or another,” he said, stressing that exploiting caste or faith “brings no dignity.”
He cautioned that large‑scale caste politics would hurt the state: “This is not merely Congress’s embarrassment – it is Karnataka’s embarrassment.”
Finally, he accused the ruling government of falling short of its promises despite winning 140 seats, adding that “They are only fighting for the chair. In my view, there is no need to even discuss this government.”
(mka/pgh)
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