Bengaluru, Apr 25 (DHNS): The tussle between Energy Minister D K Shivakumar and JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy took a personal turn on Friday with the latter questioning the minister’s past.

“In Sathanur (Kanakapura), people know what kind of movies used to be screened in the tents owned by Shivakumar. Why would I stoop to his level?” asked Kumaraswamy, who is also a film producer.

He said if he had wanted to expose the offences committed by Shivakumar and his family, the minister and his kin would have ended up jail.

Recalling his tenure as chief minister, Kumara-swamy said Shivakumar was involved in illegalities in granite and iron ore business.

Cases not pursued

“If I had wanted, I could have sent him and his family to jail. I wouldn’t stoop to that level. I had given my officers, especially those from the Commercial Taxes department, a free hand. But the officials then – Harish Gowda and others – did not pursue the cases. You need to ask Harish Gowda why he closed the case,” said Kumara-swamy. He said it was Shivakumar who was provoking him.

“He speaks of having a muhurat for my downfall. I say God has already fixed an auspicious time for his downfall. People like him, living in glasshouses, cannot throw stones at people like me,” the former chief minister said.

Speaking about encroachment of lakes, Kumaraswamy claimed that former public works minister C M Udasi had constructed a house, along with several other former ministers, on the JP Nagar lake bed.