Was in 'forced marriage' with Cong; Gowda hits back at Kharge
Bengaluru (PTI): Former Prime Minister and JD(S) supremo H D Devegowda on Wednesday claimed that he was in a "forced marriage" with the Congress but had to "divorce" the national party because it was an "abusive relationship".
He was reacting to a statement made by the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge while bidding farewell to retiring members.
Kharge, who is also AICC President, recalled his association with Devegowda, who he said served as the Prime Minister and held several important positions.
"I have known Devegowda for a long time ---54 years-- and have worked with him. But I do not know what happened. He fell in love with us, but married Modi sahab (Prime Minister Narendra Modi)," Kharge said in Rajya Sabha, visuals of which were aired in local media. The analogy made the Prime Minister, who was present in the Rajya Sabha, laugh.
Taking to social media platform 'X', Devegowda, the JD(S) patriarch said "my dear and longtime friend, Mallikarjun Kharge, made a light-hearted comment in Parliament today about me having been in "love" with them (Congress) but "married" Modi Ji (BJP) eventually. He also said he did not know the reason as to why I did so."
Devegowda said he was not in the House when Kharge spoke as he had to leave for Bengaluru to be present for Ugadi celebrations on Thursday.
"If I were to respond to my friend in the same language of marriage, I would like to say that I was in a "forced marriage" with the Congress but had to "divorce" them because it was an abusive relationship," he said, in a statement on 'X'.
He sought to remind Kharge that in 2018 Congress had sent its leader Ghulam Nabi Azad and offered Kumaraswamy the chief minister's post. "I did not consent to this."
"I told in everybody's presence that Kharge should be made Chief Minister. Siddaramaiah was also there. However, Azad insisted on Kumaraswamy's leadership. But after all this song, dance and a wedding what did they do in 2019? They dumped us. How many Congress MLAs defected to the BJP and who sent them across is now common knowledge," he said.
Devegowda said that if Congress had acted against the person who instigated defection that day, "today my friend, Kharge, would be in a better position as AICC President."
"So to put the record straight, I did not desert the Congress alliance. It is they who walked away. They left me with no choice but to "divorce" them and seek a more stable alliance," he claimed.
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Efforts on to identify, rehabilitate Kogilu dwellers under housing scheme: Minister
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Minister Krishna Byre Gowda on Wednesday said a detailed exercise is underway to identify and rehabilitate eligible beneficiaries under the 'One Lakh Multi-storey Bengaluru Housing Scheme', even as scrutiny of applications from 'Kogilu Bande' has revealed large-scale ineligibility due to non-compliance of guidelines.
The authorities evicted the dwellers in Kogilu Cross living in slums during winter, saying that they occupied the government land, meant for Bengaluru's solid waste management, illegally.
The action drew flak, especially from the Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, prompting the Karnataka government to announce alternative arrangements.
On Wednesday, the minister said the initiative is part of efforts to provide housing to the urban poor through a structured and transparent process overseen by the City Shelter Committee.
"A total of 1,187 one-bedroom flats are being constructed, 594 flats under the public quota and 593 flats under the local quota," he said, outlining the scale of the housing project coming up at Byappanahalli village in Byatarayanapura Assembly constituency, which the revenue minister represents in the Assembly.
A total of 189 beneficiaries have already been selected in a City Shelter Committee meeting, he said, indicating that allotment is being carried out in phases based on eligibility criteria.
Substantiating the scale of the exercise, the minister said, "Following the clearance of unauthorised houses in Kogilu Bande, a survey was conducted, and a list of 165 homeless individuals has been submitted."
He said the survey, carried out jointly by the Revenue Department and the Greater Bengaluru Authority, was aimed at ensuring that displaced and genuinely homeless families are considered for rehabilitation under the housing scheme.
Of the 165 identified individuals, only 61 families were found eligible as per the scheme guidelines.
The minister noted that a significant number of applications were rejected or kept pending due to various reasons.
He further pointed out discrepancies such as duplicate applications, ownership of houses within the Bengaluru Metropolitan Area, and incomplete documentation.
In several cases, applicants were found to be outside the jurisdiction or lacked valid address proof.
The minister said some applicants were also from outside the state, making them ineligible under the scheme norms.
He assured that pending cases would be reviewed once applicants submit the required documents.
"The pending cases will be reviewed in the next Ashraya Committee meeting upon resubmission of the required documents," he said.
Emphasising the need for strict adherence to guidelines, Gowda said the government is committed to ensuring that only genuine beneficiaries receive housing under the scheme, while preventing misuse of public resources.
