Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy criticized Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar for convening a meeting of police officers in Ballari following violence. Kumaraswamy questioned the Deputy Chief Minister’s authority to hold such a meeting and raised concerns about the state’s Home Minister’s role. He highlighted the need for transparency regarding the incident.
Kumaraswamy emphasized that a Deputy Chief Minister is just a minister and questioned the credibility of the information officials would provide to a Congress fact-finding committee. He expressed doubts about the effectiveness of the investigation given complaints against the accused MLAs. The Minister accused the government of attempting to hastily cover up the events in Ballari city.
The Union Minister raised several questions regarding the handling of the situation, including the hasty cremation of a slain party worker and the lack of family involvement in the final rites. He demanded answers from the government regarding the incident and criticized the hurried actions taken. Kumaraswamy described the incident in Ballari as tragic and called for accountability.
Referring to past disputes, Kumaraswamy dismissed the relevance of old issues being brought up and criticized Minister Priyank Kharge for his remarks on the opposition. He challenged Kharge to explain the contributions he and his father had made to a specific constituency. The Minister warned against making casual remarks and called for restraint.
Kumaraswamy urged for a proper investigation into the Ballari case and suggested involving the CBI for impartiality. He highlighted discrepancies in the handling of the situation and questioned the actions of the police during the incident. The Union Minister emphasized the need for accountability and transparency in the investigation process.
H.D. Kumaraswamy, D.K. Shivakumar, Ballari, Congress, BJP, Janardhan Reddy, Priyank Kharge, G. Parameshwara, CBI, Karnataka
