From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Sep 14: In a sensational allegation amidst the atmosphere of trouble within the ruling JD(S)-Congress coalition partners, especially the latter, Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy has claimed that “kingpins involved in gambling and illegal lottery business’’ are funding opposition BJP’s attempts to topple his four-month ministry.

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru on Friday, the Chief Minister alleged that BJP under the leadership of its State party chief and former Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa was involved in carrying out the ‘Operation Kamala 3’’ to lure legislators belonging to both Congress and JD(S) by offering huge sums of cash.

Replying to questions on the alleged luring of Congress and JD(S) MLAs by paying them hefty amounts of cash by the BJP to topple the coalition government, Kumraswamy said attempts are being made to destabilize his government by collecting money from kingpins involved in gambling and illegal lottery business who had been collecting thousands of crore of rupees daily.

Apparently referring to BJP moves to topple the government by bribing legislators of ruling parties, the Chief Minister said, “I know all that. I am not sitting idle. Where they are collecting money, who are the kingpins behind in collecting such money. We have our own plans in place to counter the BJP.’’

The Chief Minister, who has retained the intelligence portfolio with him even though Congress leader Dr G Parameshwara is holding the Home and Bengaluru Development portfolios, said the government would take steps within the legal framework and take action against people/leaders involved in collecting money illegally for toppling the government.

“I know what steps I have to take within the legal framework, I will start. I will do what is necessary. I will not remain quiet,’’ he said.

Kumaraswmay said he also knew that kingpins, who were involved in the destruction of files by setting fire in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) office in the city during 2009-10 to cover up their illegal deals, were also collecting huge amounts of money to topple the government.

BJP rubbishes CM’s allegation

Meanwhile, the State BJP has in an official statement, rubbished the Chief Minister’s allegations that the party was making attempts to destabilise the Congress-JD(S) coalition government.

Kumaraswamy’s statement deserves to be condemned and rejected with the contempt it deserves; nothing can be more childish, reckless and ridiculous as this statement of the chief minister, State BJP General Secretary N Ravi Kumar, MLC, said in the statement.

“BJP would like to assert with all the forces at its command that we have no role to play in the present crisis that has gripped the Congress-JD(S) coalition government. The chief minister is paranoid; Kumaraswamy has realised that the ground under his feet is slipping; his body language clearly suggests that he is helpless. Unable to accept the emerging reality, the chief minister has been talking irresponsibly,’’ it said.

The BJP statement said, “It is as clear as the daylight that the turmoil within the Congress party has increased the already-gripping uncertainty about the longevity of the Congress-JD(S) coalition government. Talking of crores of rupees having been mobilised by some people and transported to some places are all absurd.’’

“The Chief Minister has all the powers to stop this. Instead he is busy giving sound-bytes to TV channels. The fact that the government has not acted on this so-called “intelligence information is a proof that Kumaraswamy is not only vague but talking through his hat,’’ the statement said.

It reminded the statement by Kumarswamy’s nephew Prajwal Revenna, who is the son of Public Works minister HD Revanna and elder brother of the Chief Minister, has gone on record that “only those who bring suit-cases are given posts in JD(S). This statement is a telling comment on the state of affairs in the JD(S). The BJP would like to gently remind the chief minister of his nephew’s statement. The Chief Minister has utterly failed to govern; he is trying to conceal his failure by needlessly and wrongly blaming the BJP."