Hassan: “The Karnataka Congress government is conspiring to grab the 45 acres of land near Bidadi that I purchased with my hard earned money in 1985 when I was a film distributor,” says Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy.
Speaking to the media after inaugurating the Ex-Servicemen’s Building of the paramilitary forces in Hassan, he said, “I acquired that land through hard work. However, the Siddaramaiah-led government has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprising five officers and has unleashed them on me, claiming there is encroachment.”
“Yesterday (Friday), they were prepared to conduct a raid without even issuing me a notice. I informed the concerned Principal Secretary—’Look, this is not government land; it is my personal property. How can you come without issuing a notice? I bought this land 40 years ago. If you wish to survey it, first issue me a notice as the rightful owner,'” he said.
“Let International Surveyors Come; I Am Ready”
“The land surveyors here seem incapable of surveying my property. Bring international-level surveyors—I am ready for that too. How long will you continue playing these games? A five-member SIT, including a regional commissioner and four assistant commissioner-level officers, has been formed. Go ahead and survey the land. If anything has been illegally encroached upon, take it,” said the Union Minister.
“Constitutional Institutions Should Examine the Truth”
“I have no objections if a survey is conducted and any encroachment is reclaimed. However, this country operates under law and the Constitution. Shouldn’t the law be the same for everyone? My only request to constitutional institutions is that when expressing opinions, they should consider the truth. Examine the records carefully,” he urged.
“When Siddaramaiah was CM earlier, in 2011, 370 candidates from that batch took the KPSC exam. Despite being fairly selected, all of them were thrown out onto the streets. The entire selection list was annulled. I fought on their behalf. The list was canceled just for the sake of one female candidate. Who was she? The daughter of an officer named Siddappa, who was then the Assistant Commissioner in Ramanagara. Now, they have given her a job. Don’t they know Siddappa’s track record? Because I fought for those candidates, that officer created false narratives that my daughter was treated unfairly. They are using that as a weapon now. Let them step into it, I will respond,” Kumaraswamy said.
“₹1,80,000 Crore Revenue Expected, But Another Hollow Budget Guaranteed”
“For the past 40 years, there has been a continuous conspiracy to destroy the Deve Gowda family. This government is looting the state. If the people had given me a five-year mandate, I would have put an end to all this. The state’s debt has now ballooned to ₹7 lakh crore. At one point, they waived ₹2,500 crore, then ₹25,000 crore in loans.
In 2006, the state budget size was ₹34,000 crore. During my tenure, 180 first-grade colleges, 500 junior colleges, and 1,400 high schools were sanctioned. I appointed 56,000 teachers. What has this government done? How many youth have they provided jobs to? They have taken massive loans, and in the upcoming budget, who knows how many more lakh crores will they borrow?
They expected ₹1,80,000 crore in revenue, but this time too, another hollow budget is guaranteed. They need to correct this,” Kumaraswamy criticized.
