State govt. trying to frame me, claims Kumaraswamy

Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy on Saturday accused the State government functionaries of conspiring to “frame” him.

Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy on Saturday accused the State government functionaries of conspiring to “frame” him.

Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, the Congress government was “misusing officials and administrative authorities” and the Police Department was operating “under the instructions of Ministers according to their whims and fancies.”

Stating that he will not be intimidated, Mr. Kumaraswamy said: “This government, including the Home Minister, are conspiring to frame me. They are conducting meetings with top policemen and Ministers to conspire against me.” He accused the government of diverting focus from actual issues by involving him, blaming the Prime Minister and Finance Minister. “Mr. Siddaramaiah and his government are mired in corruption, scams, and controversies therefore, they are diverting the attention of people,” he said.

On the Sai Venkateshwara Minerals illegal mining case dating back to the time he was the Chief Minister in 2007, the Union Minister said: “The case is in court. I have not disrespected or misused any constitutional bodies for my personal gain. I will resign if there’s anything wrong.”

While acknowledging that he had signed on the Gangenahalli denotification file while he was the Chief Minister, Mr. Kumaraswamy however refuted any wrong doing in the case. He claimed he was not aware that his mother-in-law was the GPA holder in the denotification case. He said he would retire from politics if found guilty. “Let a case be made out in the court,” he said.

Mr. Kumaraswamy also claimed that he had documents against six to seven Ministers in the present Cabinet and that they would have to resign if he released them.