Kumaraswamy accuses Karnataka govt of corruption

Kumaraswamy alleged that the chief minister office’s (CMO) officials were demanding ₹30 lakh for transfers and a letter from the MLA alone does not suffice

Bengaluru Former chief minister and Janata Dal (Secular) JD (S) leader HD Kumaraswamy on Monday alleged rampant corruption in the Congress government, and said officials in chief minister Siddaramaiah’s office were demanding money for transfers.

Kumaraswamy alleged that Tahsildar Ajit Rai who was suspended recently after the Lokayukta raid, had paid ₹3 crore to get a posting in the previous government (PTI)

Kumaraswamy alleged that the chief minister office’s (CMO) officials were demanding ₹30 lakh for transfers and a letter from the MLA alone does not suffice. “Recently, an official who was seeking transfer got the letter of the local MLA to the CMO. But the CMO officials said that a recommendation letter alone will not work and that he should get ₹30 lakh along with it for posting. This happened at the CM’s office Krishna,” Kumaraswamy said.

The JD(S) leader said that syndicates have been formed in the departments for this and everyone knows under whose nose these activities are going on, without elaborating. “Let the Congress say as to who the mastermind was for these transfers.”

Kumaraswamy alleged that Tahsildar Ajit Rai who was suspended recently after the Lokayukta raid, had paid ₹3 crore to get a posting in the previous government. “This government can only survive through ventilators in the ICU.”

Attacking the Congress over the corruption in state, the former chief minister on Sunday had also said that the Congress government has introduced a new tax called ‘YST’. “A new tax YST [Yathindra Siddaramaiah Tax] has been introduced by the government,” Kumaraswamy chided, in a veiled reference to chief minister Siddaramaiah’s son, Dr Yathindra Siddaramaiah. Yathindra, who was elected as an MLA from Varuna constituency in 2018, vacated the seat for his father in 2023.

“While there is Goods and Service Tax [GST] in the country, under this government, they have started what is called as ‘YST’. I’m trying to find out what that is. What is noteworthy is that these meetings are not held in government offices,” he said on Sunday.

Kumaraswamy’s allegations come in the backdrop of the Congress government maintaining that all irregularities that took place when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was in power, would be probed. Corruption was among the key planks on which the Congress fought and won the Assembly polls in the state.

Following the footsteps of JD(S), the principal opposition party in the state, BJP, also said that there was nothing wrong in what Kumaraswamy said on the transfer allegations. “It must be some small post and that’s why they must have asked ₹30 lakh. But they are asking crores. The word of IAS and IPS officers are clear evidence, there is no smoke without fire. CM Siddaramaiah talks about honesty. If you see the way the CM’s office is running, you should be afraid,” former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai said.

Meanwhile, Congress hit back at Kumaraswamy and asked him to provide proof to justify his allegations. “Let him show the proof for the allegations that he is making. Didn’t we provide proof when we spoke of scams in the previous governments?” RDPR and IT-BT minister Priyank Kharge said.