Bengaluru, Oct 16 — Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Friday launched a sharp attack on Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge over his remark that Kumaraswamy could be questioned if necessary in connection with sting operation row and former CM Siddaramaiah's video, asking why Priyank's father and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge had approached Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Siddhartha Trust issue and whether the Home Minister would answer this question.
Reacting to Priyank Kharge's remarks, Kumaraswamy said time would decide the latter's fate and asserted that the day to teach him a lesson for his alleged arrogance was not far away.
It can be noted that the Siddhartha Vihar Trust controversy involves allegations against Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, his son and Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge, and other family members regarding the acquisition of government-allotted land.
The Siddhartha Vihar Trust is a public educational, cultural, and charitable trust associated with the Kharge family, including Mallikarjun Kharge, Priyank Kharge, Radhabai Kharge, Rahul Kharge, and son-in-law, Congress MP Radhakrishna Doddamani.
The Kharge family is accused of leveraging political influence to improperly secure land allotments. There are also allegations that trust received undue concessions or claimed Scheduled Caste-related benefits without matching aerospace expertise.
Kumaraswamy questioned the conduct of the state Home Minister and urged him to give up what he described as an aggressive approach.
"Can you order an investigation against anyone you want? Does that mean you can order an inquiry against every person walking on the street?" he asked.
Responding to Priyank Kharge's alleged criticism that he had little significance in the Union government, Kumaraswamy sarcastically asked whether someone had appeared in the Home Minister's dreams and told him so.
He said he did not need to explain to Priyank Kharge how he had performed as a Union Minister in New Delhi, adding that his work and achievements spoke for themselves.
Kumaraswamy claimed that Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), which was making a profit of around Rs 200 crore, had been turned around to record profits of more than Rs 1,500 crore.
He also said the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) had recorded a profit of Rs 3,500 crore and that a target of at least Rs 10,000 crore had been set for the next financial year.
Taking a jibe at the Congress government's earlier '40 per cent commission' and 'PayCM' campaign against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Kumaraswamy asked what the state government had achieved over the past three years and in the recent months following the change of Chief Minister.
"Is your task to evict farmers in Bidadi and allow the NICE company to loot people? My records speak about my work. I do not need a certificate from you for the way I have run these two departments," the Union Minister said.
Kumaraswamy also accused the state government of irregularities in recruitment through the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) and in veterinary appointments.
He alleged that when Priyank Kharge was serving as the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister, irregularities had occurred in the selection of 24 engineers through the KPSC, with 10 candidates allegedly selected through illegal means.
He asked why the state government had issued appointment orders to all 24 candidates despite an inquiry report recommending cancellation of the recruitment process.
The Union Minister also alleged large-scale corruption in the selection of veterinary candidates and asked why a stay order had been sought after the High Court ordered an investigation into the matter.
"If you are transparent, you should allow a fair investigation. Instead, you are misusing your authority," Kumaraswamy alleged, accusing Priyank Kharge of abusing his position.
Kumaraswamy denied threatening police officials, saying he had only cautioned investigating officers against unnecessarily targeting young people over social media posts.
He said he had not threatened anyone and was ready to face an investigation himself.
"I have not threatened anyone. I said that investigating officers would have to face consequences if they unnecessarily created problems. I am ready for an investigation, and it can begin with me," he added.
He accused Priyank Kharge of adopting a threatening style of functioning and said the Karnsataka Home Minister should refrain from such conduct.
Kumaraswamy was speaking in Bengaluru during an interaction with KPSC aspirants, candidates who alleged that they had been denied jobs, and students and youth.
The programme focused on alleged recruitment irregularities and the need to clean up the commission.