Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Mar 20: Deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar launched a sharp attack on Union minister H D Kumaraswamy on Thursday, dismissing his allegations of "hatred politics" after a case of alleged encroachment was filed against him.

"Kumaraswamy has hatred politics in his DNA. The case regarding the alleged encroachment in Kethaganahalli near Bidadi was filed by activist S R Hiremath. Officials acted as per the court’s order. How does that amount to hatred politics?" Shivakumar told the media at Vidhana Soudha.

Responding to claims that the action in the Kethaganahalli case was politically motivated, he said, "Did we file this case? It was S R Hiremath who took it to court. He has filed multiple cases against me as well. The court directed officials to act based on his petition. Where is the hatred politics in this?"

Addressing accusations from Kumaraswamy’s family, Shivakumar said, "In Mysuru, Kumaraswamy made several statements against me. His father, former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, has also spoken against me. Didn’t they file cases against me, my wife, my sister, and my brother? Even though I had no connection to Ballari, didn’t they accuse me of iron ore theft? Wasn’t there an investigation against me? Despite forming a government together in the past, we remained silent. If Kumaraswamy maintains dignity, everything will be fine."

On the Centre rejecting Karnataka’s proposal to rename Ramanagara district, he said, "They are pressuring the Central government to prevent the renaming of Ramanagara. We know the law. The Constitution does not require us to seek approval from anyone. We have submitted the necessary details. Some ministers in Delhi are conspiring against it, but we will not back down. We will rename Ramanagara as Bengaluru South."

Dismissing claims that the renaming was meant to benefit real estate interests, he quipped, "Yes, we are doing it for real estate benefits. Shouldn’t it benefit our people in Kanakapura, Ramanagara, Channapatna, and Magadi? Why did you move here? Our people are essentially Bengaluru residents. They need to survive. Their lands have lost value. We want to ensure their prosperity. What’s wrong with that?"

Providing updates on the Pennar River dispute, he said, "The Centre scheduled a conciliation meeting between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, as per the court’s order. Initially, a date was set, but we requested a postponement due to the Belagavi session. Later, they called for a meeting on March 18. There were rumours that Tamil Nadu refused to sit with Karnataka. However, the Union minister officially informed me that the meeting has been postponed. The Central ministers will hold separate discussions with Tamil Nadu, likely due to their political agenda. Before attending the meeting, I discussed Karnataka’s stance with the cabinet."

On his recent meeting with Congress high command leaders, Shivakumar said, "As it marks 100 years since Mahatma Gandhi assumed the Congress presidency, we are planning to build 100 Congress offices across the state. I invited our leaders to finalize a date for the foundation stone laying ceremony."

Reacting to BJP state president B Y Vijayendra’s criticism of his remarks referring to Mandya leaders as ‘Chhatri’ (not trustworthy), he said, "If I am arrogant, let him bring me down. I will call my close associates whatever I wish, out of affection. What’s his problem? Some people even call their close ones ‘thief, my son’ and other terms. These are personal bonds, and there’s no issue with that."

Asked about stepping down as Congress state president, he stated, "The party will decide that. I have fulfilled my responsibilities. No one is permanent here. My goal is to complete the Congress office construction during my tenure. Whenever the party decides, I will abide by it—whether today, tomorrow, five years, or ten years later. I am in no hurry. I am committed to the party’s decision."

On BJP’s protest against the 4 per cent reservation for minorities in government contracts, he said, "It is our duty to ensure justice for all communities. We treat everyone equally. The Congress government will work alongside marginalised communities and empower them."

Regarding BJP MLA N Munirathna’s claim that there is a conspiracy to kill him, Shivakumar remarked, "I will speak to the Speaker and request medical treatment for him."