As soon as buddies and allies however now foes, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Union minister HD Kumaraswamy are locked in a contemporary confrontation. (PTI)
The case, which stems from Kumaraswamy’s 2007 tenure as CM throughout which he allegedly granted a mining lease to Sri Sai Venkateshwara Minerals in violation of the regulation, has triggered a confrontation in Karnataka
As soon as buddies and allies however now foes, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Union minister HD Kumaraswamy are locked in a contemporary confrontation, with the latter accusing the Congress authorities of reopening previous circumstances to “blackmail” him.
On August 14, the Karnataka Lokayukta Particular Investigation Crew (SIT) approached Governor Thawarchand Gehlot for the second time, searching for sanction to prosecute Kumaraswamy in an alleged unlawful mining lease case. Ten months earlier, in November 2023, a request for prosecution had been submitted. The case stems from Kumaraswamy’s 2007 tenure as chief minister throughout which he allegedly granted a mining lease to Sri Sai Venkateshwara Minerals in violation of the regulation.
Siddaramaiah questioned why the Governor had not sanctioned Kumaraswamy’s prosecution with the identical urgency as within the MUDA case. He identified that his sanction was granted inside days of a personal grievance, whereas Kumaraswamy’s case solely reached this stage after a full investigation.
Siddaramaiah commented: “If an arrest is warranted, it is going to occur with out hesitation. Even a constable can arrest him if wanted. At current, no such circumstance has arisen. Kumaraswamy is just afraid the Governor will grant sanction.”
Accusing the Congress authorities of concentrating on him out of jealousy, citing his Union minister standing, Kumaraswamy retorted: “This can be a useless case — a case that lacks my signature.” He additionally claimed that the Congress authorities was trying to malign his popularity.
“Even 100 Siddaramaiahs can’t arrest me. Do I look scared to you?” he requested.
Siddaramaiah swiftly responded: “It’s not me — it’s the police who will arrest him. Even a constable is ample if required. Arrests are carried out by the police, not by Siddaramaiah.”
Siddaramaiah additional criticised Kumaraswamy, calling him a “hit-and-run case”. An identical assertion was made by one other former Karnataka chief minister, Jagadish Shettar, who in 2023 briefly joined Congress from the BJP and was made a Congress MLC. Shettar, now again within the BJP, had earlier remarked that Kumaraswamy habitually made allegations and ‘fled the scene with out providing proof’.
Siddaramaiah added that Kumaraswamy had made many accusations with out following them to a “logical conclusion”.
So, what’s the Lokayukta case towards Kumaraswamy?
Throughout his first time period as chief minister from 2006 to 2008, Kumaraswamy allegedly favoured Sri Sai Venkateshwara Minerals over 24 different bidders for a mining lease. It’s claimed that the corporate obtained clearance in violation of guidelines, and that Kumaraswamy obtained Rs 150 crore in kickbacks from mining homeowners. Kumaraswamy referred to as for a Lokayukta investigation, and a 2011 report discovered no loss to the exchequer and no improper allocation of mining areas.
This case was additionally talked about in a broader Lokayukta report on mining scams, ready by N Santosh Hegde, which implicated a number of figures, together with BS Yediyurappa and Janardhan Reddy.
In November final yr, the SIT first sought the Governor’s sanction to prosecute Kumaraswamy underneath numerous sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act.
A key piece of proof cited by the SIT is forensic verification of Kumaraswamy’s signature on the mining lease file.
In 2014-15, the case reached the Supreme Court docket when Siddaramaiah’s Congress authorities referred to as for an inquiry. The court docket ordered the investigation to be accomplished inside three months and reserved judgment pending ultimate findings.
“Now, in 2024, the SIT’s investigation is full. Standing reviews have been submitted to the Supreme Court docket, although no ultimate conclusions have been drawn,” Kumaraswamy said.
He added that when the SIT approached the Governor in November searching for sanction for prosecution, the Governor ordered a evaluation because of issues over a signature on the file. Kumaraswamy maintains that he’s not concerned and asserts that the federal government is damaging his popularity with a “useless case”.
