'Transfer scam': Oppn in Karnataka steps up attack on ruling Congress

Bengaluru: The Opposition on Saturday intensified its attack on the ruling Congress with JD(S) legislature party leader H D Kumaraswamy releasing a transfer list of police inspectors from the Home department and alleging a “cash for transfer” racket, even as the BJP shared posters on social media labelling Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s son Yathindra as the ‘shadow CM’. 

Recently, Kumaraswamy had alleged that Yathindra was involved in a “cash for transfer” racket after sharing a video of a purported conversation between Siddaramaiah and his son, in which the latter can be heard talking about a ‘list’ and mentioning the name ‘Vivekananda’. While the Congress had claimed that the phone conversation was about a list of schools which needed repair and the Vivekananda in question was a block education officer, Kumaraswamy on Saturday released a list of police officers’ transfer which contains the name Vivekananda. 

Taking to ‘X’ (earlier Twitter), the JD(S) leader said, “The name Vivekananda mentioned in the video of the ‘Collection Prince’ has entered the transfers list, within 48 hrs, how did it happen?” he questioned. Siddaramaiah had taken the advice of Duplicate CM (Deputy Chief Minister) and framed a CSR story for the video, Kumaraswamy claimed, attacking the ruling party. “How did Vivekananda get transferred from state Intelligence to VV Puram police station in Mysore. The Chief Minister must answer this,” he demanded.

Kumaraswamy had released the list of 71 police inspectors transferred late Friday night and highlighted ‘Vivekananda’, the fourth name in the row.

Meanwhile, the BJP also launched a ‘Shadow CM’ campaign on X targeting Yathindra.

BJP SC Morcha president Chalavadi Narayanaswamy demanded that the chief minister announce the resignation date. “As the chief minister himself had said, let him announce the resignation date as the cash for transfer racket is proven. The Congress government has been involved in the transfer scam from day one. When the video of Yathindra went viral, Siddaramaiah dared to take political retirement if the video is proven to be related to the transfer racket,” he stated.

Some of the ministers in the Siddaramaiah Cabinet, including Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, backed Yathindra. “Yathindra is a gem who sacrificed his constituency for his father and he even refused the MLC nomination. One should appreciate the way he is working and taking care of his father’s constituency as a KDP member,” he said. 

Shivakumar even advised Kumaraswamy to understand and honour the chief minister’s post which he held twice. “Kumaraswamy was a chief minister twice, an MLA, son of a former Prime Minister and president of a political party, he should know the dignity of the posts and act accordingly,” he added. 

Home Minister G Parameshwara denied any connection with police officers transfers to Yathindra and said, “It could be a co-incidence and there was no pressure on me on transfers in the Home department.”

He added that if the Opposition has any information on the “cash for transfer” racket, they can put it forward and it can be debated on the floor of the House in the upcoming session. “These are all part of general transfers and we cannot keep such posts vacant till the next transfer season. We have established a Police Establishment Board, through which the transfers will be done,” Parameshwara mentioned.

IT, BT and RDPR Minister Priyank Kharge too questioned Kumaraswamy about what he did when his father was a Prime Minister, and his son Nikhil, when Kumaraswamy was chief minister.