H D Kumaraswamy, BJP slam Shivakumar over Kanakapura plan

Bengaluru: Opposing Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar's plan to bring Kanakapura under Bengaluru, JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy on Tuesday said this could be a move to regularise illegal or benaami assets.

Even the BJP criticised Shivakumar's plan and said moving Kanakapura under Bengaluru would only benefit the Congress leader and not people.

"Who owns assets in and around Kanakapura? How many of them are benaami? Is this drama only meant to regularise these illegal assets?" Kumaraswamy said in a statement.

Kumaraswamy was the chief minister of the JD(S)-BJP coalition when the Ramanagara district comprising Kanakapura was created in August 2007. While Shivakumar is the Kanakapura MLA, Kumaraswamy represents Channapatna - both of them located in the Ramanagara district.

"Shivakumar's malice is to fill up his coffers by enhancing the value of his own assets in and around Kanakapura," Kumaraswamy charged.

The JD(S) leader said that Shivakumar has "insulted" the people of Ramanagara. "Kanakapura is 52 km from Bengaluru. Ramanagara is just 25 km from Bengaluru. What's more convenient for people? Should people of Kanakapura come to Bengaluru daily? There's much suspicion over the deputy CM's intent," Kumaraswamy said.

Taunting Shivakumar, Kumaraswamy said: "To our good fortune, Shivakumar did not say that he'd get a tunnel done from Bengaluru to Kanakapura."

Kumaraswamy said he turned into reality the "long-pending" dream of a Ramanagara district comprising Kanakapura, Ramanagara, Channapatna and Magadi taluks. "Now, an attempt is being made to betray people. There's no question of tolerating this. People of all four Assembly constituencies, including Kanakapura, will remain in Ramanagara," he said.

BJP general secretary N Ravikumar accused Shivakumar of wanting to get richer. "Maybe he's not satisfied with his wealth. He and his family hold thousands of acres of land...it is for their prosperity that he wants to bring Kanakapura to Bengaluru," he said.

According to Ravikumar, only 4-5 per cent of Kanakapura's population owns land measuring 10-30 acres. "So, bringing Kanakapura under Bengaluru will benefit only Shivakumar and his family," he said.