Analysis | Clash between Kumaraswamy and IPS officer and Karnataka’s ‘dirty’ politics | India News

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s involvement in alleged irregularities by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) in allotment of compensation land to his wife is turning into a heated political row between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal (Secular). unite in the state.

The latest is the exchange of blows between Union Minister and JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy and Additional Director General (ADGP), Lokayukta, of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) M. Chandra Sekhar, who is probing a mining lease case against the Union Minister, when he was there Prime Minister in 2007.

Over the weekend, Kumaraswamy criticized Sekhar as a “blackmailer and criminal” and accused the Congress government of seeking protection from such “tainted” officials. “I may be an accused in the mining case, but the officer is a criminal disguised as a police officer,” he alleged.

The police officer, in turn, hit back at Kumaraswamy in an internal letter to his team that went viral. The official quoted Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw in the letter: “Never wrestle with pigs. They both get dirty and the pig likes it. But we cannot avoid facing criminals and accused during our service. Sometimes they are both criminals and defendants.” This should not stop us from our work, because the truth always wins.

The trigger for this verbal altercation between the politician and the police officer is the controversial Sri Sai Venkateshwara Minerals (SSVM) mining case in Sandur Taluk in Ballari district. Sekhar heads the SIT that is investigating this case.

Kumaraswamy, during his tenure as chief minister, had approved a mining lease to SSVM in 2007, which was allegedly in violation of the rules. In 2015, Kumaraswamy was questioned and arrested by the Lokayukta SIT, but the latter was granted anticipatory bail and was released.

The arrest was based on former Lokayukta judge Santosh N. Hegde’s report on illegal mining, which said the SSVM’s application was processed in a single day in October 2007 by the office of additional secretary to the industries and commerce minister in Kumaraswamy .

After 17 years, the Lokayukta approached Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot seeking permission to prosecute Kumaraswamy in the mining case. The Lokayukta’s confidential report seeking the governor’s sanction was leaked to the media and Raj Bhavan in August wanted to know how it all happened.

Sekhar had suggested that Raj Bhavan officials should be investigated for the leak. An angry Kumaraswamy has questioned the police officer’s audacity to seek permission from the higher authorities of the Lokayukta to investigate Raj Bhavan officials.

Amid this flare-up between Kumaraswamy and Sekhar, the Mysuru Lokayukta police filed a case against Siddaramaiah on September 27, naming him as the main accused in the MUDA scam.

While the BJP and the JD(S) asked Siddaramaiah to resign, the Congress launched a counterattack and asked Kumaraswamy to resign as he was out on bail in the mining case.

On the same day (September 27), Kumaraswamy had appeared before the Lokayukta for questioning in another case involving the designation of 1.11 acres of land at Gangenahalli in north Bengaluru in 2007.

The following day, Kumaraswamy accused the Congress government of appointing a “tainted and corrupt official” to investigate cases alleging that rogue officials were used for these investigations under the Siddaramaiah government.

Reacting to this, Sekhar said in an internal note to his investigation team, “False and malicious allegations and threats were made to deter the Lokayukta SIT from its work. An accused in Crime No. 16/4 of SIT, HD Kumaraswamy, at.” False and malicious allegations and threats were made at a press conference.

As you know, the SIT had sought criminal sanction from the relevant authority for the accused. This defendant is on bail… he did this to prevent us from carrying out our duties. Apparently his aim is to scare the SIT officials by attacking me.” The ADGP told his team that they would continue their work unfazed by political pressure.

When asked by the Congress that the police official had worked during his tenure as CM, Kumaraswamy said, “What can you say to the uneducated and ignorant?” It is true that this official also worked in my government. But I didn’t allow him to give in.” I kept him under control because he committed corruption or extorted money. Do the ministers in the Congress government have the courage to stop him from indulging in corruption?”

Referring to the letter written by Sekhar to his team, Kumaraswamy claimed that it was written in the office of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC). “I don’t speak without evidence or context. The letter he wrote was pretty well prepared.”

After holding a press conference on Saturday morning, I know where this officer went that evening. “I also know which legal experts helped him draft the letter and who else was involved,” he explained. KPCC president and deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar reacted and asked Kumaraswamy to provide evidence that the letter was originated in the Congress party office.

Kumaraswamy also accused the Himachal Pradesh cadre IPS officer of submitting fake documents for posting to Karnataka. Sekhar hails from Andhra Pradesh and is part of the Himachal Pradesh squad.

He got himself transferred to Karnataka stating that the weather in Himachal Pradesh was not suitable for his wife. “In Bengaluru, the official is constructing a 38-storey building on a storm drain in the name of his wife and no action has been taken,” the Union minister alleged. Meanwhile, it is learned that Sekhar is considering filing a defamation case and also approaching the court against Kumaraswamy.

FIR against BJP leader
The Tilak Nagar police in Bengaluru registered an FIR on September 28 against Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, BJP national president JP Nadda and others for alleged misuse of the electoral bonds scheme to extort funds from companies by law enforcement agencies.

The FIR was lodged pursuant to a court order and includes charges under Sections 384 (extortion), 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 34 (acts committed with common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The complaint was filed by Adarsh ​​R. Iyer, co-president of Janaadhikaara Sangharsha Parishath (JSP), accused the BJP leadership of orchestrating a criminal conspiracy to force corporations to buy electoral bonds in favor of the party.

The FIR also names BJP state president BY Vijayendra, former MP Naleen Kumar Kateel and Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials. The electoral bond system was introduced by the Finance Act in 2017 and was declared unconstitutional in February 2024.

Siddaramaiah, who faced calls for his resignation from the BJP, criticized the party and said, “According to the BJP’s logic, shouldn’t Sitharaman also resign?” Kumaraswamy, who defended Sitharaman, said, “Why should she resign? Were the electoral bonds deposited into Sitharaman’s personal account? Did she misuse her power for personal gain like Siddaramaiah?”

Meanwhile, social activist Snehamaiyi Krishna, one of the complainants against Siddaramaiah in the MUDA case, has written to the law enforcement agency to investigate the matter as a mere probe by the Lokayukta or a Central Bureau of Investigation is not enough.