Former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy used the party forum on Sunday to attack the Congress government, especially Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar.
Continuing the tirade against the Congress government, Mr. Kumaraswamy on Sunday accused Mr. Shivakumar of extorting money from builders in Karnataka to a tune of ₹100 per square feet. The new accusation comes after his earlier attack on the government over transfers and seeking commission from contractors.
“Powerful people in the government have planned to extort ₹2,000 crore from builders. At a meeting with builders, a demand has been placed to extort ₹100 per square feet. A builder told me that the governments in Telangana and Uttar Pradesh were collecting ₹23 and ₹6 per square feet,” he said, accusing the Deputy Chief Minister, who is also in charge of Bengaluru Development of making ₹500 crore in solid waste management.
He also said: “How much will you take from the power purchase agreements. Plans are there to spend about ₹1,500 crore a month on power purchase.”
Reiterating his earlier accusation of Mr. Shivakumar’s involvement in BMIC land issue, he said that ₹2 lakh to ₹3 lakh crore worth of land is being eyed at. “If the land is properly utilised, the government can fund its guarantee schemes from the money realised. Even if government increases the incentive under Gruha Lakshmi from ₹2,000 a month to ₹4,000 a month utilising this money, we will support it.”
Siddaramaiah blamed
Meanwhile, Mr. Deve Gowda blamed Mr. Siddaramaiah and Cooperation Minister K.N. Rajanna for his defeat in Tumakuru in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. “When G.T. Deve Gowda defeated him (in 2018 Assembly elections), I had not gone to Chamundeshwari Assembly constituency. Mr. Siddaramaiah wanted to seek revenge. Both conspired to defeat me. You sacrificed me to destroy my party,” he said.
He said that though he had earlier announced that he would not contest elections, it was Congress leader and current Home Minister G. Parameshwara, who had invited him to contest from Tumakuru and assured his victory.
He also asked: “Who was responsible for BJP coming to power (in Karnataka)? Who had come home asking for alliance (in 2018)? Did I ask you to make my son the Chief Minister?”
