Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday lashed out at former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy for leveling “cash-for-posting” allegations against his son. He said the Janata Dal (Secular) (JDS) leader is “desperate for attention” and has “become an expert at coming up with conspiracy theories”.
In a series of tweets on Saturday, Siddaramaiah clarified a viral video of his son Yathindra Siddaramaiah and denied his involvement in the “cash-for-posting scam”.
Taking potshots at Kumaraswamy for making such allegations, the CM said, “It seems former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy is desperate for attention. Medically, it is termed as histrionic personality disorder. It is better to address it quickly then never do.”
What does the viral video say and what did HD Kumaraswamy claim?
Kumaraswamy shared the viral video clip on social media and accused Yathindra of being involved in a “money posting scam”.
In the alleged video, Yathindra, a former Congress MLA, is heard saying, “Hi Appa (father), Vivekananda! Where to go? No, I didn’t give that. Give it (phone) to Mahadeva. I had given only five .” Then he speaks to Mahadeva: “Mahadeva, why are you giving something…? Who gave that? Nothing other than whatever I have given, which alone should happen,” news agency PTI reported.
READ ALSO: Siddaramaiah says farmers in Karnataka have suffered losses ₹30,000 crore due to drought
According to Kumaraswamy, Yathindra spoke to R Mahadeva, a sub-registrar at Ganganagar in Bengaluru, who has been posted as CM’s Officer on Special Duty R Mahadeva.
On Saturday, Kumaraswamy claimed that the name of an official mentioned in a phone conversation, allegedly between Siddaramaiah and his son, appears in the transfer list of police inspectors released the night before.
Kumaraswamy wanted to know how Vivekananda, who played a role in the phone call, appeared on the transfer list within 48 hours of the complaint.
The JD(S) leader even shared the transfer list issued by the police on November 17. The order list containing 13 names showed the transfer of an official named Vivekananda from the state intelligence agency to VV Puram police station in Mysuru city.
Kumaraswamy said in a tweet, “This video clip is a proof that ‘Cash for Posting’ is a practice of posting jobs for money in Karnataka. Congress’ recovery efforts have come to the fore. Do we need more proof that Karnataka’s debt collection king, father and son of Karnataka’s debt collection king have been extorting money? The Prime Minister is running a transfer business without shame.”
What Siddaramaja said
Siddaramaiah criticized HD Kumaraswamy for making up “conspiracy theories” on the video and clarified that the phone conversation he had with his son was about corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds and not ‘cash for transfer’ as claimed by Kumaraswamy.
The CM said his conversation with Yathindra Siddaramaiah was related to the development of government schools in Varuna constituency.
“The document that was released was signed by Mysuru Taluk BEO (Block Education Officer) Vivekananda. The phone conversation was about this Vivekananda who had signed the list of schools for development,” the CM said.
However, he alleged that Kumaraswamy had come up with the name of an officer named Vivekananda on a transfer list.
Siddaramaiah accused Kumaraswamy of “making up stories” using only the name ‘Vivekananda’. He said, “Many people may have similar names. Former BJP MLA MP Kumaraswamy was convicted in a check bounce case. Did we say it was HD Kumaraswamy? When Kumaraswamy made fun of himself by calling ‘Yellidyappa Nikhil’, everyone responded with the name Nikhil Kumaraswamy?”
Demanding an apology from the JD(S) leader, Siddaramaiah said, “There is still a chance for Kumaraswamy to accept his mistake and publicly apologize for his failed attempt. Instead of building on lies, he should should end with an apology.”
“As a responsible political leader, one should present facts and not conspiracy theories…Instead of wasting time in creating false narratives, he should talk to his alliance partners and ensure justice for Karnataka on various issues,” the Karnataka CM added.
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