'60% commission' charge: Siddaramaiah, Kumaraswamy spar over evidence of graft

'What evidence Congress had when they accused the previous BJP government of '40% commission' corruption', former Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai chimed in.

Bengaluru: Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Monday kept up his attack on the Congress government for '60% commission' corruption, which received pushback from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

On Sunday, Kumaraswamy claimed that 'commission' business under the Congress regime had touched 60per cent.

"Has (Kumaraswamy) provided any evidence?" Siddaramaiah asked.

Former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai, the Haveri MP, joined issue with Siddaramaiah on this.

"Siddaramaiah is asking for proof on the '60% commission' charge. He should first answer what evidence Congress had when they accused the previous BJP government of '40% commission' corruption," Bommai, who faced the brunt of the Congress' '40% commission' campaign, said.

Siddaramaiah said Congress' allegation was based on what the Karnataka State Contractors Association had claimed.

In a tweet, Kumaraswamy went after Siddaramaiah on the issue.

"Contractors affiliated with your own party and the leaders of your Congress party from Tumakuru have made these claims. These same contractors had previously alleged that the BJP government had similar practices! Now, they openly accuse your Congress government of extorting a 40% commission. If there is no commission involved, why didn’t you question them? Why didn’t you confront them? You now demand evidence for every allegation, but didn’t you accuse the BJP government of 40% commission and even publish advertisements about it? How much evidence did you present back then?" Kumaraswamy said.

"A contractor from Davangere has written to your esteemed office and to the Governor seeking mercy killing. Will you ensure his pending dues are cleared, or will you grant his plea for mercy killing? Set aside the greed for commissions and first protect that contractor," Kumaraswamy added.

Lashing out at Kumaraswamy, IT/BT Minister Priyank Kharge wondered if the JD(S) had a pen drive containing evidence. "A union minister is making such statements repeatedly...he's in a responsible position," he said.

Industries Minister MB Patil asked Kumaraswamy to furnish evidence. "Let him give evidence and we'll investigate. Kumaraswamy always does 'hit-and-run'," he said.

Rubbishing Kumaraswamy's claim that the Congress government may face instability after Sankranthi, Patil said: "After Sankranthi, no JD(S) MLA will remain in that party."