Deccan Chronicle; Monday October 04, 2010;
Former chief minister and JD(S) state president H.D. Kumaraswamy seems to be fast acquiring the uncanny ability of triggering a controversy when all’s well on the political front — something his father and former prime minister H.D. Deve Gowda was known for. Just a couple of weeks after ensuring the victory of the party in the prestigious Gulbarga (South) Assembly poll, Mr Kumaraswamy has stirred a hornest’s nest with his allegation that Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa and his sons have been grabbing land with impunity using the denotification clause. In the midst of his interaction with his supporters and strategy sessions with his father at his ‘Guest House’ in Sadashiva Nagar, this burly politician spoke to Bhaskar Hegde about current political issues and his priorities.
Excerpts.
You had earlier announced that you would take out a padayatra from Bidar to Bengaluru. This should have started on Saturday. Why did you shelve the plan?
I have not dropped it. My party leaders advised me that since the taluk and zilla panachayat are round the corner, we need to make preparations. So I suspended the plan temporarily to make preparations for the polls. And of course, I have stumbled on several details pertaining to the denotification scam, which have to be revealed. That was why I shelved the padayatra for the time being.
Are you raising these issues to create an impact in the taluk and zilla panchayat elections?
That is absolutely wrong. I am doing it in public interest. My intention is to expose the misdeeds of the Yeddyurappa government. During the taluk and zilla panchayat polls, we would like to focus on the manner in which we ruled the state in the past and the welfare programmes introduced by the previous Janata Dal regimes.
Just before the BBMP polls, your party took the fight over the Bengaluru Mysore expressway to the streets. After the elections, it petered out. The issues that you raise, seem to die a fast death once the elections are over. Why?
That’s not true. I would like to remind you that because of the struggle we carried out on the Nice expressway project, the government became cautious. They even stopped giving excess land to the company. Otherwise, they would have handed over land without any reason. That was our victory. I will not give it up and intend to take issues to a logical end.
We have witnessed several scams including the fake stamp paper scam. Politicians seem to be getting away scot free in all of them. Do you feel those involved in the scams you have been highlighting, will meet the same fate?
I told you. Be patient and see what happens. Every case will be taken to its logical end. Those who committed blunders have to be punished. These scams are totally different from the previous ones. And I assure six crore Kannadigas that I will not mislead them.
Several BJP leaders suspect that disgruntled elements in the party are passing on crucial information to you so that you can embarrass the government.
Comment.
No. All the information we have, was obtained under the RTI. The views expressed by a few BJP leaders, clearly proves that they suspect each another. I cannot help it if they have no trust in themselves.
Two important scams involving members of your family—Allotment of sites to your family members at a park in Mysore and a contract scam at Alamatti— were highlighted but nothing happened.
The first issue was settled long back in 1985. A House committee was formed after allegations were made that my father had given hundreds of contracts to several contractors. The House committee gave its recommendations though there was no evidence to prove the charges. In fact, when I became Assembly member, I raised this issue on the floor of the House. One of the members, J.C. Madhuswamy, who was a member of the House committee, clarified that none of the members had given a recommendation to that effect. It was politically motivated and a conspiracy to finish my father’s political career. Detractors have indulged in several tactics to dent his image. There was no substance in the report.
Some people had remarked that you launched a campaign against the government after it stopped a few of your projects. Is that true?
I would like to make it clear that I am not blackmailing anyone. Never have I indulged in such cheap tactics. After this government came to power, I have not written to any minister seeking the transfer of any official. Nor have I requested the chief minister to clear a file or sanction a project. Why should I do that? Frustrated elements may come up with such allegations. But I have a clear conscience.
Recently, you met Opposition leader Siddaramaiah. Why?
That was meant to discuss the political situation arising after the Gulbarga (South) and Kadur by-elections. Mr Siddaramaiah has a different view on state politics which is contrary to that of the Congress state unit’s stand. Naturally, the meeting led to a lot of speculation on the formation of an alternative to the BJP and things like that. Those were only rumours.
The BJP and a few Congress leaders keep suggesting that you are desperate to return to power. They say you have been raising scam after scam for this purpose.
(Goes red for a second) Who said this?...tell me...I became chief minister by accident. Had the Congress not tried to destroy our base, I would not have tried to form a government in 2006. Thanks to the Congress, I became chief minister. I am confident of returning to power with the blessings of the people. I do not have to be desperate.
Then, why do they make such allegations?
I have information that many Congress leaders are in touch with BJP ministers. There is even talk of secret pacts between leaders of the Congress and BJP. They get their files cleared and get a lot of things done. I can reveal a lot more but I would prefer to stop for now.
You said you are fighting the TP and ZP elections on the basis of your past performance. But, you still carry the betrayal tag for refusing to support the Yeddyurappa government in 2007 under the 20:20 power sharing arrangement. How will you get rid of this bad image, particularly in north Karnataka?
Yes, we had a bad name then. But neither me nor Mr Deve Gowda have been treated badly by people of the region in the past. We have always received a rousing welcome. It was the party’s mistake. We will try to put it behind us and highlight the misdeeds of the Yeddyurappa government, which will benefit us and help reverse the trend.
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