MYSURU: Former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Thursday said the State Government’s decision to set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the sleaze CD episode, which had led to the resignation of Ramesh Jarkiholi as minister, was mere eyewash. The JDS leader told reporters here that the government will get a report from the forensic lab stating that the CD is fake, and wrap up the case. Nothing will come out of the SIT probe, he said.
“Against whom will they conduct an investigation. No culprit has been booked or punished by these agencies in the past,” he said, referring to an officer who allegedly swindled Rs 20 crore from the Ramanagara-Channapatna Development Authority and is now with Bangalore Development Authority.
Kumaraswamy said that Ramesh Jarkiholi, who was earlier with the Congress, is aware of who is behind the CD incident, but added that no one should use the issue to gain political mileage as it could send a wrong message to society. The “recent ugly incidents” would have made Jarkiholi realise that “it would not have happened if he (Kumaraswamy) was in power”, he added.
He also downplayed the meeting between former JDS MLA Madhu Bangarappa and Congress leader Siddaramaiah. “They might have developed a strong relationship as the JDS-Congress coalition had fielded Madhu in the 2018 Lok Sabha bypolls,” he quipped.
Referring to the `500-crore grant announced for the Vokkaliga Development Corporation in the recent budget, he said, “There is no mention of when the fund will be released... it could take years.” In his native Haradanahalli, Kumaraswamy said the State Government has ordered an SIT probe to protect itself, and that the CD row had demoralised the state’s politicians.
Referring to BJP MLA Basavanagouda Patil Yatnal’s statement that 23 more CDs are to be released, he said the government should put an end to the issue. He also slammed the ministers for approaching court to restrain media organisations from publishing or airing any defamatory material.