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Kumaraswamy slams Congress over delay in reaction to Yathindra’s video
Kumaraswamy claimed that the video implies Yathindra’s involvement in influencing appointments for money.
A day after the Congress defended the chief minister’s son Yathindra against the allegations of corruption over a video clip, the Janata Dal (Secular) state president HD Kumaraswamy on Friday questioned the delayed response in attributing the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) fund idea to deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar.
The video which emerged on Thursday, captured on the sidelines of a public event, shows Yathindra instructing the person at the other end to provide a “list of only those recommended.” Kumaraswamy claimed that the video implies Yathindra’s involvement in influencing appointments for money. HT could not ascertain either the authenticity or the context of the video.
CM Siddaramaiah defended his son, stating that the conversation (in the video) is focused on repairing schools in the Varuna constituency using the CSR fund. However, responding to the clarification, Kumaraswamy raised concerns about the timing of the statement. “Why the silence until 3 pm when the CM’s son’s video was released at 7 am? Immediate clarification was warranted. The deputy CM, DK Shivakumar, met the CM at 12 pm; perhaps, he suggested the idea. DK Shivakumar has a keen interest in CSR funds,” he told media.
He also questioned the involvement of government officials Vivekananda and Mahadev in the phone conversation. “If that was about the CSR fund, the discussion must have been with the Block Education Officer (BOE) and DDPI (Deputy Director of Public Instruction) . Why did the file reach Mahadev [Officer on Special Duty to the chief minister]? If you think that you can scare me, that is not possible,” the former chief minister added.
Siddaramaiah, however, clarified that Vivekananda was the BOE of Varuna and Mahadev was his Officer on Special Duty (OSD).
In response to Kumaraswamy’s allegations, the chief minister challenged him to address the matter in the assembly session, stating, “Former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy called a press conference today [Friday] and made false accusations. Let them discuss this in the assembly session, then we will give an answer. The government will not run away. When did Kumaraswamy tell the truth? Always a hit-and-run case. Not all lies can be investigated. If there is any basis, documentation can be investigated,” Siddaramaiah posted on X.
Meanwhile, amidst allegations of a “transfer racket,” attention has turned to the substantial number of transfers of senior officers in the past four months under the Congress government. According to official figures, within last four months, 553 IAS, IPS, and IFS officers have been transferred. Notably, 179 IAS officers, 107 IPS officers, and 61 IFS officers have been transferred between June and September 2023. Additionally, 206 Karnakata Administrative Service (KAS) officers have been transferred from June 1 to October 21, 2023.
A senior bureaucrat in the state, however, claimed that such transfers are normal. “Whenever a new government comes to power transfers are usual… I can’t comment on the politics over the transfers,” said the IAS officer, seeking anonymity.
