BJP-JD(S) protest march is for 'redemption from their sins': Deputy CM DK Shivakumar
Channapatna (Karnataka), Aug 4: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Sunday termed the opposition BJP and JD(S)' ongoing 'padayatra' against alleged Mysuru Urban Development Authority site allotment scam, seeking to corner the Congress government and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, as a march for "redemption from their sins".
He also questioned JD(S) leader and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy about the source of his family’s wealth and said he could not have made thousands of crores through farming.
"BJP-JD(S) padayatre is a "Paapa Vimochana Padayatre" (a foot march for redemption from their sins)... it is the march of the corrupt, by the corrupt and for the corrupt," Shivakumar said.
Speaking at the 'Janandolana' event, a public meeting by the Congress to counter BJP-JD(S)' padayatra, he accused BJP leaders and their family, Kumaraswamy and his JDS leaders and their families of indulging in corruption.
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The week long 'Mysuru Chalo padayatre' by BJP and JD(S) from Bengaluru that began on Saturday is against the alleged fraudulent allotment of sites to land losers by MUDA, including Siddaramaiah's wife Parvathi.
Noting that he runs a business along with farming, Shivakumar said while Kumaraswamy has clearly said he is the son of the soil and does only farming. "Did he make thousands of crores of wealth just by growing potatoes and onions?"
He also sought to know about Kumaraswamy's elder brother H D Balakrishna Gowda, a retired KAS officer, and his family's assets.
"Kumaranna (Kumaraswamy), you can discuss my assets. Start from the first, your brother -- Balakrishna Gowda, his wife, her father and family -- in Mysuru, Srirangapatna and Bengaluru. Also their benamis. How much land is in their name, you have to answer it. A government employee, how many thousand crores is he worth?" he asked.
Averring that he hasn't yet spoken about the alleged denotification and mining scams involving Kumaraswamy, the Deputy CM said, "I am yet to release your family’s assets, but I will soon...."
JD(S) won 136 seats under his presidency, but JD(S) secured only 19 seats inder Kumaraswamy, Shivakumar said.
"Now, you (Kumaraswamy) have joined your hands with the BJP to save your party. You are an expert in hit and run and you are a blackmailer... You said you will not attend the padayatra but why are you attending now. You are trying to ruin JD(S) for the sake of power."
Channapatna Assembly segment will be facing the by-polls soon. The date is yet to be announced.
The bypoll in Channapatna is necessitated, following Kumaraswamy's election to the Lok Sabha from Mandya.
Speculations are rife within the Congress circles that either Shivakumar or his brother D K Suresh, a former MP, who unsuccessfully contested from Bangalore Rural Lok Sabha segment, are likely to be Congress candidate from Channapatna.
"Whoever may be the candidate in Channapatna, but your vote goes to Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar. The Congress party symbol is the real candidate. I will work for this constituency like a legislator, give me an opportunity by supporting Congress," he appealed.
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Karnataka caste census report likely to be placed before cabinet on Jan 16
Bengaluru (PTI): With the Socio-Economic and Education Survey report, popularly known as the 'caste census,' likely to be placed before the state cabinet on January 16, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara stressed that its contents should be made public.
He said, any decision based on the report is the prerogative of the government and it will be taken after analysing it.
Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes under its then Chairman K Jayaprakash Hegde had submitted the report to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on February 29 last year, amid objections raised by certain sections of society and voices against it from within ruling Congress.
"It was decided the sealed cover (of report) will be opened before the cabinet, otherwise it may lead to leakage of information....whether there will be a discussion on it or not, I cannot speak about it now, once opened at least abstract information will be known to us," Parameshwara told reporters here replying to a question.
To a question on the opposition from certain dominant sections to the report and implementation of its recommendations, he said, the government has got the report after spending Rs 160 crore tax payers money, it should at least be made public, taking action based on it is secondary.
"Taking action based on it is left to the discretion of the government, the government will ultimately decide. But at least the information from the report that was prepared by spending Rs 160 crore, should come out. So there is a demand that what is there in the report be made public," he added.
What is happening now is bringing out the information from the report, the Home Minister said.
Karnataka's two dominant communities -- Vokkaliags and Lingayats -- have expressed reservations about the survey done, calling it "unscientific", and have demanded that it be rejected and a fresh survey be conducted.
The commission headed by Jayaprakash Hegde had said that the report was prepared based on data collected by 1.6 lakh officials, including 1.33 lakh teachers under the leadership of respective Deputy Commissioners of the districts across the state.
The then Siddaramaiah-led Congress government (2013-2018) had in 2015 commissioned the survey in the state.
The state Backward Classes Commission under its then chairperson Kantharaju was tasked with preparing a caste census report. The survey work was completed in 2018, towards the end of Siddaramaiah's first tenure as Chief Minister. The findings of the survey in the form of a report never came out in public thereafter.
With strong disapproval from the two politically influential communities the survey report may turn out to be a political hot potato for the government, as it may set the stage for a confrontation, with Dalits and OBCs among others demanding for it to be made public.
Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress president, and a Vokkaliga, was a signatory, along with a couple of other ministers, to a memorandum submitted by the community to the chief minister earlier, requesting that the report and the data be rejected.
All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha, the apex body of Veerashaiva-Lingayats, which has also expressed its disapproval vis-a-vis the survey and demanded conduct of a fresh survey, is headed by veteran Congress leader and MLA Shamanuru Shivashankarappa. Several Lingayat ministers and MLAs too have raised objections.
According to some reports, findings of the survey are allegedly contrary to the "traditional perception" with regard to the numerical strength of various castes in Karnataka, especially Lingayats and Vokkaligas, making it a politically sticky issue.
