HASSAN: Hitting out at the State Government for announcing a cash reward of Rs 25 lakh to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) that probed sexual assault cases against his grandson and former Hassan Member of Parliament Prajwal Revanna, JDS supremo and former prime minister HD Deve Gowda on Saturday alleged that the Congress hatched a conspiracy to finish off his son HD Revanna and his family politically.
Addressing a mammoth rally titled ‘Janata Samavesha’ in his home turf of Hassan, Gowda recalled that the SIT team had rushed to his daughter Shailaja’s Bengaluru residence, where he was resting, to arrest Revanna. “I have only heard of rewards being offered to the team that captured forest brigand Veerappan… but now the government has rewarded those who arrested Revanna,” the veteran leader added.
Slamming the Congress, Gowda said that JDS continues to be a political force under the leadership of HD Kumaraswamy. Gowda said that through the convention in Hassan, the JDS has sent a clear message that it is still strong and all its leaders are united. The JDS leader said that his dream is to bring an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) to Hassan and to make poor families self-reliant.
He also criticised the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, for saying that the country’s economy has deteriorated under the Modi regime.
Addressing the gathering, Union Minister for Steel and Heavy Industries HD Kumaraswamy said that the State Government was looting the people of the state.
“The Congress government has completely failed to address the plight of farmers. I challenge CM Siddaramaiah for a debate on his government’s achievements,” Kumaraswamy, who is also state JDS president, said.
Kumaraswamy said that Siddaramaiah was using the AHINDA community for political mileage.
JDS youth wing chief Nikhil Kumaraswamy was also present. The Janata Samavesha was attended by dozens of former ministers, sitting MLAs, MLCs, and JDS district presidents.