Kumaraswamy opposes proposed spending of ₹100 crore for Cauvery Aarti

Union Minister Kumaraswamy criticizes ₹100 crore Cauvery Aarti spending, questions government's handling of RCB victory parade incident.

Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy on Saturday opposed the proposed spending of ₹100 crore on Cauvery Aarti, questioning the rationale behind such a huge expenditure.

Speaking to reporters in Mandya, the Minister said, “Why is ₹100 crore needed for Cauvery Aarti? When we organised similar events in Kere Thonnur, how much did it cost? What is the justification for such a large outlay? I strongly oppose the proposal.”

Mr. Kumaraswamy criticised the State government over its failure to handle the crowd that converged at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru to have a glimpse of the victory parade of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Wednesday.

“The government is changing its stance every hour—first it announced a magisterial inquiry, then a judicial probe, and now it’s being handed over to the CID. Let’s see which report they act upon,” he said.

Lashing out at the Congress government over the incident, Mr. Kumaraswamy asked, “Do we call this a government? Decisions must be taken with clarity. Even the FIR says there is no dereliction of duty by officials. The government has completely failed.”

Dismissing comparisons being made with incidents in Pahalgam and Prayagraj, Mr. Kumaraswamy said such inferences were irrelevant. “What connection do these events have? During the Mumbai terror attack that happened under the UPA government, did the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh resign? The event in Bengaluru was organised to boost the image of the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister,” he alleged.

Responding to a comment by former MP D.K. Suresh, who advised him to focus on his health, Mr. Kumaraswamy replied, “God is taking care of my health. With the blessings of the people of Mandya, nothing will happen to me. I am under no pressure—they seem to be the ones under pressure.”