Union Minister Kumaraswamy alleges State govt., CM encouraging officers to overstep their limits

Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy spending time with schoolchildren on Saturday, during his visit to Haradanahalli and Mavinakere in Holenarasipur taluk in Hassan district.

Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy on Saturday alleged that Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and the State government were encouraging officials to flout rules and overstep their limits.

Speaking to reporters during his visit to Mavinakere in Holenarasipura taluk, he said that during his previous visit to Hassan, he had raised the issue of a WhatsApp chat involving a staff member of the Hassan Deputy Commissioner’s office and sought a probe into the issues discussed in it.

“I only referred to the chat on alleged corruption in the Deputy Commissioner’s office and sought an investigation. I did not point fingers at any person," he said.

The chat contained references to some people in connection with money transactions. “I demanded the seizure of the phones of those mentioned and a proper investigation. However, the Chief Minister himself gave the clean chit. The Deputy Commissioner is overstepping her limits. Then, what is the use of me demanding an investigation?” he wondered.

Mr. Kumaraswamy also condemned the incident in which his son and JD(S) youth-wing president Nikhil Kumaraswamy was reportedly denied entry into a temple at Kurubarahalli in Harohalli taluk, Bengaluru South district. The former Chief Minister said the villagers had long been his supporters and had voted for him in the previous elections. The incident had hurt him, he said, adding that harassment of opposition party workers had increased under Congress rule. “The people will give a fitting reply to such instances in the elections,” he said.

He also recalled facing a similar incident at Hosur in the district in 2003-04 but said he was later elected to the Assembly with a huge margin.