Ex-CM accuses both BJP, Cong of corruption

Former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy, said, the earlier BJP government had misappropriated over Rs 50,000 crore in implementing various projects and schemes in the State, but the Congress was not talking about it as it feared a backlash.

He was speaking to media persons here on Monday, after inaugurating the new office of the JD(S). He said, the Congress government feared that the BJP government at the Centre would initiate a CBI probe into its misdeeds if it exposed the wrongdoings of the BJP in the State.

When asked why he was not exposing the scams of both the BJP as well as the Congress, he said, he was waiting for concrete evidence to prove his allegations.
“The JD(S) was the first to expose the misdeeds in the Energy department. We had to wait for almost two years to talk against Yeddyurappa’s government, as we were sourcing evidence. Now also, we are waiting for an appropriate time,” he said.
Stating that the Congress did not have the moral right to talk against corruption, he said, there was no need for an opposition as the Congress leaders themselves were critical about the State government’s performance.

Pointing out that KPCC president G Parameshwara had recently stated that he smelt corruption brewing in the government, he said, ex-MP A H Vishwanath had alleged that the officials have become inactive in the chief minister’s own district of Mysuru.

When his attention was drawn towards the protests demanding a rollback in KSRTC bus fares in the wake of a cut in diesel prices, he said, as the KSRTC had hiked the fares citing the hike in diesel prices earlier, it would be fair to rollback the fares now.
Reacting to former minister Basavaraj Horatti’s call for Kumaraswamy to wake up from a slumber, he said, a party could not be strengthened by a single leader. “All leaders and party workers should join hands in the exercise,” he said.

Admitting that there were difference of opinions within the JD(S), he appealed to the leaders to air their views and grievances at the party fora, rather than going public through the media.

In view of the grapevine that a woman — probably his wife Anita Kumaraswamy — would be made president of the State unit of the JD(S), Kumaraswamy said, there was one such proposal, but a decision would be taken after consulting all party MPs, MLAs, MLCs and leaders.