From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Nov 21: Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar ridiculed JD(S) leader and former chief minister H D Kumarawamy for levelling baseless allegations against him that he was "exhibiting blue films’’ and sarcastically remarked: "Honourable Kumaraswamy, you are a former CM. People are laughing at you for your outlandish allegations.’’
"As a person, who had served as CM twice in the past and president of JD(S), Kumaraswamy should exhibit dignity befitting his stature. He is spoiling his own image by his reckless and baseless allegations,’’ he said responding to charges made by the JD(S) leader that he had exhibited blue films.
Shivakumar said he failed to understand why Kumaraswamy has been continuously repeating his baseless allegations after stout denial. "This kind of behaviour and continuously hurling baseless allegations lowers his own dignity and diminishes his stature. He should remember that he is a former CM and son of a former CM and former prime minister,’’ he said.
The deputy chief minister said the people of his constituency know him and have stood by him through thick and thin. "I have been elected with a lead of over 1,23,000 votes even without campaigning. My voters have so much faith and trust in me,’’ he asserted.
Shivakumar challenged the JD(S) leader to go to his Kanakapura assembly constituency and meet the voters.
"You can ask my own voters or your own partymen in Kanakapura. If they tell you that I have ever exhibited blue films, I will retire from politics. If they don’t, what are you going to do?’’ he asked Kumaraswamy.
Shivakumar said the JD(S) leader is ‘’totally frustrated and is speaking like this out of frustration. If Kumaraswamy is so sure of his utterances, he could have raised the issue earlier. He could have levelled the allegations when I had contested against his own father H D Deve Gowda,’’ he said.
He explained that he had "established tent cinemas to help the poor people to watch movies at very lost rates. My tent cinemas were established in Indira Gandhi’s name. Why is he raising the issue when he has remained silent all along,’’ he asked.
The deputy chief minister challenged the BJP leaders to first prevail upon their own government in Delhi to release drought relief funds to Karnataka instead of making the political tamasha of undertaking drought study teams and tours.
"What are these BJP leaders going to study when Narendra Modi government’s Central Study Team and visited the State and studied the situation. Our government has submitted detailed memoranda and they have not responded," he added.
To a question on the pasting of posters against Kumaraswamy allegedly by Congress workers, Shivakumar said it is wrong and he condemns such activities done by anybody, including Congressmen. "I don’t believe in such cheap politics,’’ he said.