Min criticises HDK over Rs 600-crore deal allegation

Minister N Cheluvarayaswamy Mandya: District minister N Cheluvarayaswamy on Tuesday criticised Union minister HD Kumaraswamy over his allegations of a Rs 600-crore deal to target the family of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda , questioning whether anyone would offer such a huge sum for that purpose.

Speaking to reporters here, Cheluvarayaswamy accused Kumaraswamy of resorting to character assassination earlier. “Kumaraswamy didn’t care about the injustice done to 350 women in the Hassan pen drive case. Instead, he is fighting for action against those who released the pen drive.

He has no sympathy for the victims and only talks about those who leaked the pen drive,” he said. “Has the sting operation been proven yet? There is only a voice recording.

Let us see when it is proven during the investigation. We have uncovered 90% of the details regarding the release of the video, so why is Kumaraswamy angry?” said the minister. Reacting to Kumaraswamy’s letter to chief minister DK Shivakumar seeking land for industrial development in Mandya, Cheluvarayaswamy took a swipe at the Union minister for approaching a CM whose legitimacy he had previously questioned.

He said Shivakumar had responded promptly to the request for 100 acres through KIADB. He also rejected allegations that talks with sugarcane farmers had failed. He said the CM and DCM had held discussions with farmers and sugar factory owners.

Decisions on the minimum support price (MSP) and fair and remunerative price (FRP), however, rested with Union govt, he added.