BENGALURU: How about the government fulfilling your vow to a deity? For commoners, it’s next to impossible, but not for Mudigere MLA MP Kumaraswamy. The government has even gone ahead and granted a whopping Rs 25 lakh to fulfil his vow as a ‘special case’.
In his letter to the CM, Kumaraswamy stated that he had taken a vow in 2019 that he would donate a wooden chariot to the Kalanatheshwara Temple in Palguni village and take up rejuvenation of the Bhairaveshwara temple in Betagere if Yediyurappa becomes the CM.
And where will the money come from? The MLA conveniently requested Yediyurappa to sanction Rs 35 lakh to fulfil his vows — Rs 30 lakh for the Kalanatheshwara temple and Rs 5 lakh for the Bhairaveshwara temple, both in his constituency.
The Chief Minister has considered the request and instructed the Additional Chief Secretary, Revenue Department, to treat it as a ‘special case’ and sanction Rs 25 lakh to Kalanatheshwara temple. Speaking to The New Indian Express, the beaming MLA said, “I had taken a personal vow before Yediyurappa became the CM. Thus, I had requested him (CM) to sanction grants to fulfil the vows. I even thanked him on Thursday for sanctioning Rs 25 lakh and posted it on social media to bring it to the notice of the people of my constituency as it was good news for Sankranthi”.
‘Even devotees donating for cause’
How ever, when TNIE asked Mudigere MLA M P Kumaraswamy whether it was right to take government’s money to fulfill his vow, he said he will rethink about utilising the money. For good measure, he even added that a few devotees are also donating for the cause.
Condemning this, Jyothi A, a resident of Mudigere, said, “It is really shameful that the legislator has used the taxpayers’ money to fulfil his personal vows. We wish to know under what head of the account the settlement of personal vows are done.”