Siddaramaiah, former Chief Minister, has alleged that H.D. Kumaraswamy JD(S) leader, politicised the issue of the safety of KRS dam only because Sumalatha Ambareesh, Mandya MP, defeated his son Nikhil Kumaraswamy in the Lok Sabha polls.
Speaking to journalists in Hubballi on Monday, the Congress leader said that the State government added to the controversy by not ordering an inquiry into Ms. Ambareesh’s allegations that the dam was threatened by stone quarries.
The Mandya MP made serious allegations that the dam had developed cracks due to illegal mining. The government should have taken them seriously and ordered an inquiry into the allegations, he said.
“Senior officers and scientists should have visited the spot and submitted a report. But that was not done. What followed the allegation was a counter allegation by JD(S) leaders and the whole issue was politicised. Mr. Kumaraswamy is unhappy with Ms. Ambareesh as she defeated his son in the polls,” Mr. Siddaramaiah said.
He alleged that the State government was silent on the issue as some BJP leaders were also involved in illegal mining near the KRS.
The former CM alleged that there was large-scale corruption in the State government.
“The BJP government should be ashamed of its corrupt acts. There are allegations of large scale irregularities in the pollution control board. There is corruption even in the transfer of officers. The government is using the epidemic as a shield against transparency. They know that the opposition parties can not organise street protests against the government at this time. That is why they are using all tools to make money,” he said.
He alleged that the government was not allowing discussion on the caste census in the Legislature. “If the subject comes up, then the government will be bound to provide social justice. That is why they are shying away from it,” he said.
To a query he said there was neither in-fighting nor factionalism in the Congress.
