Will return to Karnataka politics when the time is right, says HDK

Expressing concern over the prevailing political situation in Karnataka under the Congress government, Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy on Sunday said he would return to State politics when the time is right.

Responding to queries from reporters in Mysuru, Mr. Kumaraswamy said: “When I look at the situation in the State, I also sometimes feel I should have been here.”

When asked about his possible return to State politics, he remarked that he would make the move “when the time comes.”

On a possible BJP–JD(S) alliance for the upcoming local body elections, Mr. Kumaraswamy said discussions were yet to take place but added that leaders of both parties would meet to decide how to carry the alliance forward, with the common objective of unseating what he described as the “corrupt” Congress government.

Alleging that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was targeting the JD(S), the Union Minister claimed that efforts were being made to tarnish his and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda’s reputations and politically sideline them.

He further alleged that the State government constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) only to harass him and attempt to take possession of four acres of his land in Bidadi, Bengaluru South district. Mr. Kumaraswamy said he had purchased 43 acres of land using income earned as a film distributor in the 1980s, and maintained that the SIT action was politically motivated.

Mr. Kumaraswamy said his family had been subjected to disproportionate publicity over allegations of family politics. “No other family has received as much publicity as mine,” he said.

He also claimed there had been attempts to mentally harass and weaken Mr. Deve Gowda in connection with a case involving a family member, in an apparent reference to the rape case involving former Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna.

Questioning the government’s decision to reward members of the SIT investigating the case, Mr. Kumaraswamy said he had rarely heard of such rewards being given, except in the case of the Special Task Force formed to capture forest brigand Veerappan.

Mr. Kumaraswamy further remarked that Mr. Siddaramaiah, who rose politically under Mr. Deve Gowda’s guidance, was now acting against the Gowda family.

Asserting that the JD(S) could not be weakened, he said lakhs of party workers who built the party would not allow any attempt to finish it to succeed.