Bangalore: Kumaraswamy Plans Fast Over Illegal Wealth Charges
Bangalore, June 30 (IANS) Former prime minister H.D. Deve Gowda's son H.D. Kumaraswamy Thursday threatened to "fast unto death" if Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa does not announce within a week a probe into the alleged illegal wealth amassed by the Gowda family.
"I am giving Yeddyurappa one week to announce a probe into his allegation that the Gowda family has illegally amassed Rs.1,500 crore worth of assets. If he does not, I will go on fast till death from next Friday in front of Vidhana Soudha (state secretariat)," Kumaraswamy told reporters here.
"Yeddyurappa should also set a three-month deadline for the probe to be completed," Kumaraswamy, former Karnataka chief minister and state Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) president, said.
"It is left to Yeddyurappa to decide who should conduct the probe. We are ready for probe by any body," he said.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tuesday released what it called a 'chargesheet' against the Gowda family, listing land, residential and commercial properties owned by them.
"These are now valued at Rs.1,500 crore," said the 53-page booklet released by BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman and state BJP president K.S. Eshwarappa.
Deve Gowda Wednesday dared Yeddyurappa to seek a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe to find out whether these assets were illegally acquired.
JD-S president Gowda has four sons and two daughters. Two sons, Kumaraswamy and H.D. Revanna, are in politics, while one is a Karnataka government official and another is a doctor. Revanna is the JD-S leader in the assembly.
Kumaraswamy also ticked off BJP leader M. Venkaiah Naidu, who told reporters here Thursday that "those living in glass houses should not throw stones".
"Let him throw stones at us. We are living in a glass house," the JD-S leader reacted when told of Naidu's comments.
Yeddyurappa declined comment on the Gowda family's challenge.
"I will not react to any statement from opposition leaders. It is left to our state party president. I will only concentrate on development," the chief minister said.
The Congress party mocked at the charges and counter-charges of the JD-S and BJP.
"It is childish. Instead of levelling allegations against each other in public, the matter should be referred to the CBI to bring out the truth," Siddaramaiah, leader of opposition in the assembly, told reporters.