H D Kumaraswamy threatens hunger strike over DKS' 'B'luru South' plan

Bengaluru: JD(S) legislature party leader H D Kumaraswamy on Thursday said that he would launch a hunger strike if the Ramanagara district, which was created in 2007 when he was the chief minister, is renamed as Bengaluru South.

Kumaraswamy claimed that Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar’s plan to rename Ramanagara as Bengaluru South has real estate as the motive.

“I am emotionally connected to Ramanagara. I have no business activities in that district. I will be forced to launch a hunger strike if efforts to rename the district continue. While I was born in Hassan, I would like to spend my last days in Ramanagara,” Kumaraswamy told a news conference. 

According to Kumaraswamy, Shivakumar’s pitch for ‘Brand Bengaluru’ forms a part of his real estate business. “Near Tavarekere, on the outskirts of Bengaluru, DLF company owns 800 acres, of which at least 300 acres have been bought by these people. To increase the land rate, they are doing all these ‘Brand Bengaluru’ activities. In every step, Shivakumar has business motives,” he charged. 

Levelling fresh allegations against Shivakumar and his brother, Bangalore Rural MP D K Suresh, Kumaraswamy said that they have grabbed eight acres of land that was acquired for the Bengaluru-Mysuru Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project. “Eight acres of land near Hosakerehalli in Bengaluru acquired by KIADB has been transferred in the name of D K Suresh. The land conversion was done without de-notification and hundreds of flats worth Rs 400-500 crore were constructed and sold,” the JD(S) leader alleged.

In another allegation, Kumaraswamy said that the DK brothers and their followers “cheated” the farmers of Kanakapura while establishing a dairy unit. “They claimed a compensation of Rs 53 lakh per acre, but gave Rs 50,000 to farmers,” he said. 

Also, Kumaraswamy accepted Shivakumar’s challenge for a debate, which is expected to take place in the next session of the legislature.

Reacting to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah describing him as the “villain”, Kumaraswamy said: “Yes, of course I am a villain for Siddaramaiah. How can I be his friend?”