Mysuru (Karnataka):

Union Minister and former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Saturday said that the primary objective of the Janata Dal (Secular) and BJP is to oust the current government, not just Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

“Our fight is to remove this government, not just Siddaramaiah. This government is totally against the people of Karnataka. They are looting the state,” Mr Kumaraswamy told news agency ANI.

He was responding to the ongoing controversy involving Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who is alleged to be involved in the Valmiki Corporation and Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam.

Meanwhile, Union Minister Prahlad Joshi said that Siddaramaiah has no choice but to resign.

“We will fight tooth and nail. Karnataka CM has to resign; he has no other option,” Mr Joshi told ANI.

Notably, the BJP-JD(S) coalition conducted a week-long protest march, the Mysuru Chalo Padayatra, demanding Siddaramaiah’s resignation over his alleged involvement in the MUDA and Valmiki Corporation scams.

In response, the Congress launched the ‘Jan Andolan Yatra’ earlier this month to counter the BJP’s allegations and the padayatra.

A complaint was filed by social activist Snehamayi Krishna, accusing Siddaramaiah and nine others of forging documents to claim compensation from the Mysuru Urban Development Authority. The complaint alleges that Siddaramaiah, his wife Parvathy, his brother-in-law Malikarjuna Swamy Devaraj, and others created fake documents to obtain plots worth crores of rupees.

Earlier, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah accused BJP and Janata Dal (Secular) of levelling allegations against him to weaken the government after their “Operation Kamala” failed.

“BJP and JDS parties are making allegations against me to destabilise the government. Since their failure to destabilise the government through Operation Kamala, they are making such accusations,” Siddaramaiah alleged.

The BJP has demanded that the land given to the Karnataka CM’s family be returned, accusing Siddaramaiah of usurping lands that belonged to the Dalit community.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Bengaluru:

Former Karnataka Chief Minister and JD(S) second-in-command H D Kumaraswamy on Monday alleged that 40 phones including his own and those of his family members and supporters are being tapped.

Even as he made an appeal to his nephew and Hassan JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna to come back to the country, Mr Kumaraswamy accused the government of spying on himself and his family.

Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara dismissed the allegation as baseless and a means to gain publicity.

“Our phones are being tapped. I know it. Forty phones of people around me are being tapped. Whatever discussions are happening on phone are being monitored. H D Revanna’s phone is also being tapped,” Mr Kumaraswamy alleged.

Mr Revanna is H D Kumaraswamy’s brother who was released on bail in kidnapping and sexual assault cases.

The JD(S) ‘first family’ is in trouble after a huge cache of explicit videos showing many women being sexually assaulted and filmed allegedly by Prajwal became public.

Prajwal, grandson of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda and son of Revanna, is hiding in a foreign country as the Karnataka government formed a Special Investigation Team to probe the case.

The 33-year-old JD(S) leader is the NDA’s Lok Sabha candidate from Hassan, against whom an arrest warrant has been issued by a court. Interpol has also issued a Blue Corner Notice seeking information on his whereabouts.

Mr Kumaraswamy appealed publicly to his nephew to return to India and cooperate with the investigation.

“Come back to India and cooperate with the investigation. How long this ‘police and thief’ game will go on? Your grandfather always wanted you to grow politically. If you want to honour his reputation, then come back to India,” he said.

He added that he has asked his brother Revanna to help bring back his son.

Mr Kumaraswamy, who is the JD(S) state president, claimed that if he knew beforehand about the explicit videos and sexual assault cases, he would not have allowed him to flee the country.

He also apologised to the victims of the sexual assault case.

“I once again publicly apologise to my mothers and sisters who are passing through painful mental agony. I understand their sufferings,” the JD(S) second-in-command said.

“I would like to say that many such cases have happened. The intensity of such cases may be high or low. It is such a case which is unacceptable and makes us hang our heads in shame,” he noted.

Accusing DCM Shivakumar of being the “architect” (“sutradhari”) of distribution of thousands of pen drives carrying the sexual assault videos, Mr Kumaraswamy said, “You (Shivakumar) are the lead person for distributing those pen drives. Case should be filed against Shivakumar and Shivarame Gowda.” The JD(S) leader was referring to an audio going viral in which senior Congress leader L R Shivarame Gowda is purportedly heard telling BJP leader G Devaraje Gowda to distribute pen drives containing the explicit videos.

“Distribute the pen drive and put the blame on Mr Kumaraswamy, creating an impression that he wanted to promote his son (Nikhil Kumaraswamy),” Shivarame Gowda has purportedly said in the audio.

He further allegedly “advised” Devaraje Gowda not to underestimate the JD(S) first family, including former PM Deve Gowda, Mr Kumaraswamy and other members of his family.

“The government is committed to ruin their (Deve Gowda and his family) lives. I am surprised why Deve Gowda has not died by suicide yet,” Shivarame Gowda is allegedly heard telling Devaraje Gowda in the audio clip.

In response, Devaraje Gowda allegedly told him that sharing these videos would badly affect the lives of many women. To this, Shivarame Gowda allegedly replied that there was no need to bother about it.

The JD(S) took to social media saying that the audio makes clear the intention of the Congress to finish Deve Gowda’s family.

Dismissing the accusation of phone tapping, Shivakumar, who is also Congress Karnataka unit president, said Mr Kumaraswamy and Revanna were not terrorists to warrant such action.

Speaking to reporters at his residence, he said, “Government taps phones of terrorists with due processes. There is no need to tap the phones of political leaders in the state. They are casting these aspersions for publicity.” He also said he has nothing to do with the “pen drive case”.

Home Minister Parameshwara too rejected the charge of phonetapping.

“I deny it totally. If he has any proof that his phone is being tapped by so and so… (he should bring it forward),” he told reporters in Hubballi.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Hassan, Karnataka:

Arrested BJP leader G Devaraje Gowda alleged on Friday that Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar offered him Rs 100 crore to malign the names of former Chief Minister and JDS state President HD Kumaraswamy and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Speaking to reporters from the police vehicle after being sent to judicial custody on Friday, Devaraje Gowda claimed that Mr Shivakumar even sent him Rs 5 crore as advance.

“After I refused the offer, police cases were lodged against me and I was arrested. I am ready to expose him (DK Shivakumar) once I am released. The Congress government is going to collapse in Karnataka,” he claimed.

Devaraje Gowda added, “I was told to make a statement that it was HD Kumaraswamy who circulated the pen drives containing sex videos (involving Kumaraswamy’s nephew Prajwal Revanna, the grandson of ex-PM HD Deve Gowda). But it was DK Shivakumar who obtained the pen drive from Karthik Gowda, who worked as a driver for Prajwal Revanna, and planned the entire episode.”

A team of four ministers, including N Cheluvarayaswamy, Krishna Byre Gowda, and Priyank Kharge, was formed to handle the developments relating to the sex video scandal, Devaraje Gowda claimed.

“They had planned in a big way to bring disrepute to Prime Minister Modi, HD Kumaraswamy, and the BJP. They offered me Rs 100 crore and sent Rs 5 crore as advance to Room No. 110 at Bowring Club. A local leader from Channarayapatna, Gopalaswamy, was sent to negotiate the deal,” Devaraje Gowda claimed.

“DK Shivakumar made the Rs 100 crore offer to malign the name of Prime Minister Modi by linking him to the sex scandal. Shivakumar’s main objective is to finish Kumaraswamy politically,” he added.

“When I refused to be a part of their plans, they first fixed me in an atrocity case, but couldn’t find any evidence. Later, they fixed me in a sexual harassment case. When this ploy also failed, they lodged a rape case against me. I was interrogated for four days, but they couldn’t get anything,” he claimed.

“I have the audio recordings of Shivakumar’s conversations. I will release them and the Congress government will collapse once I am out of prison,” Devaraje Gowda claimed as the police vehicle drove off.

On May 6, Devaraje Gowda claimed that Shivakumar was behind the release of the pen drive containing videos of sexual assault.

He also said that Prime Minister Modi was Congress’ main target.

“I do not trust the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the sex scandal. I will submit all the evidence to the CBI. The videos in my possession are different from those which have been released,” he had claimed.

Devaraje Gowda was arrested by the Karnataka police six days ago in a sexual harassment and atrocity case.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Amid speculations of the merger of Janata Dal-Secular with the BJP, former Karnataka Chief Minister and JDS-BJP candidate HD Kumaraswamy said on Saturday that if everything goes smoothly, there is no question of JDS being absorbed into the BJP and they will work together.

In an exclusive interview with ANI, HD Kumaraswamy said, “There is no question of merging our party with any other party. Categorically, I am telling you. There is no question. If the BJP treats us well and everything goes smoothly, there is no question of JDS being absorbed into the BJP. We will work together.”

“I would like to tell Siddaramaiah that even if 100 Siddaramaiahs come against us, they can’t do anything to our party. They can’t damage it,” he said.

Going back in time, in 2006, HD Kumaraswamy rebelled and walked out of the JD(S)-Congress coalition with 42 MLAs, reportedly against the wishes of his father, former PM and JD(S) patriarch HD Deve Gowda, citing a threat to the party, and formed the government with the BJP.

He was asked whether inviting Deve Gowda to the ”Pran Pratishtha” ceremony can be considered a personal connection between PM Modi and Deva Gowda, which led to the BJP-JD(S) alliance. HD Kumaraswamy elaborated on the dynamics between PM Modi and Deve Gowda, stating, “When Narendra Modi ji entered national politics, at that time Deve Gowda was one of the main critics of PM Modi’s national entry. Then, despite whatever he said at that time, after Modi Ji became PM, he went to meet him. Deve Gowda ji wanted to resign from his MP constituency, but Narendra Modi ji advised him that his advice was required and he must continue in parliament. This is the respect shown by the Prime Minister for Deve Gowda ji. After assuming the role of Prime Minister, they met several times, and each time the PM showed respect to Deve Gowda ji and sought his advice.”

He also discussed Deve Gowda’s political journey. “In 2018 Deve Gowda ji joined hands with Congress. Throughout his career of 60-62 years, he has always aligned with secular forces. By using regional parties, Congress has destroyed several regional parties. Congress has humiliated Deve Gowda ji in several ways.”

“In 1995, when this United Front supported Deve Gowda Ji as a PM candidate, they (the Congress) did not. When they removed him, they had no reason at all. Even at that time, he also supported Inder Kumar Gujral. In 2004, again, they ditched Deve Gowda Ji. That time also, he respected Congress, even though, at that time, Arun Jaitley met him to join hands with BjP. Deve Gowda ji rejected it. At that time, he also joined hands with Congress and after joining, he watched how they treated him for 20 months. Even at that time, the health of Deve Gowda Ji deteriorated,” he added.

He said, “Then, in 2009, he joined hands with the third front. That is a different issue. Then, even after Deve Gowda ji handed over the power to the BJP at that time again, his Congress friend wanted to split our party. Continuously, they were trying to destroy our party. Even after this, Deve Gowda Ji joined hands with Congress only.”

When asked why his party did that, he said he made several wrong decisions by trusting his Congress friends. “I am totally against Congress. I know how they are going to treat us and how they treated me as the Chief Minister.”

Hitting back at the Congress’ remark where it slammed the JD (S) for joining hands with the NDA and opined that the party should write to the Election Commission and drop the word ‘secular’ from their party’s name, HD Kumaraswamy said, “What is the meaning of secularism? I wanted to question the Congress. Every day they are misusing the caste composition; they are using the caste composition and they wanted to get benefit from it for their party.”

“According to me, there is no meaning to secularism or communalism. For example, let’s talk about DMK. They joined hands with the Centre, with both the Congress and the BJP. Whatever the reason was, they took the decision in their own interest, not for secularism or communalism,” he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Bengaluru:

Four months ago, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Janata Dal (Secular) slumped to humiliating defeats in the Karnataka election. The BJP won just 66 seats and was ousted from power and the JDS was left, many thought, on the brink of irrelevance after winning only 19. The Congress claimed a thumping, and unexpected, win with 135 seats.

The 2024 Lok Sabha election in Karnataka now becomes crucial for both the BJP and the JDS, who have announced a pre-poll alliance but have not yet revealed seat-sharing details.

The BJP-JDS Tie-Up

Senior BJP leader BS Yediyurappa ‘broke’ the news last week and said the JDS would get four seats (of the state’s 28 Lok Sabha seats) as part of the deal. This was denied by BJP sources and later by JDS leader HD Kumaraswamy, who said “these have not yet been discussed”.

READ |Will They, Won’t They? On Talk Of BJP-JDS Deal In Karnataka, HD Kumaraswamy Says…

Mr Kumaraswamy, a two-time former Chief Minister and the son of JDS patriarch HD Deve Gowda, also played down reports his party had demanded the Mandya and Tumkur seats. He insisted no such demands had been made.

Why Does The BJP Want A JDS Alliance?

Statistically, the JDS’ results in the 2023 Assembly and 2019 Lok Sabha polls don’t make a deal a sensible option for the BJP. In the former it got less than 14 per cent of the votes – up from the nine-odd per cent four years earlier. And, in each election the BJP outscored the JDS. In 2023 it won 36 per cent of the votes and, in 2019, it swept the state.

READ | As Opposition Teams Up For Big 2024 Fight, BJP Plans A Pact In South

So why does this deal make sense for the BJP?

Because the JDS still has sway in eight Lok Sabha segments in the Old Mysuru region. These include Mandya, Hassan, Bengaluru (Rural) and Chikballapur – seats it allegedly wanted as part of the deal. It also includes Tumkur, the seat Mr Deve Gowda lost from in 2019.

2023 Karnataka Assembly Election Results

Also, the JDS’ influence over Vokkalinga voters will strengthen the BJP’s hand. And that may be the kicker, as the Congress is seen as having made successful inroads into the traditionally BJP-voting community.

What the BJP may also want to consider is that a tie-up on this ground didn’t seem to help the Congress in 2019; remember, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party still won 25 seats.

Ultimately, the BJP will hope a JDS tie-up brings back memories of its 2006 coalition.

JDS Remains Defiant

The trends do not worry Deve Gowda, who told reporters “we contacted Modiji, when BJP leaders expressed their desire to talk”. “… not for Deve Gowda to become Prime Minister again… to save this party I have nurtured for 40 years,” he said.

He also explained why he believes the BJP needs him. He admitted the latter has votes in the segments in which his party is seen as influential, but “BJP shouldn’t think JDS has nothing”.

There were also warnings for other seats. “In Bijapur and Raichur BJP can win only if you get my party’s strength… if not you cannot win. In Bidar and Chikkamagaluru too we have votes.”

NDTV’s June Report On BJP-JDS Alliance

In June, sources told NDTV of the possibility of a BJP-JDS alliance.

The BJP is now without a government in South India. The party was booted out of Tamil Nadu in 2021 and routed in Kerala. Both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have also proven resistant.

Of these states, Telangana votes for a new government later this year and the BJP is eager to have local footprints in each state as it builds back up ahead of next year’s mega election. With that in mind, the AIADMK alliance has been renewed and talks are also on with smaller Kerala parties. The BJP is already in a coalition government in Puducherry.

With input from agencies

Bengaluru:

Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD Kumaraswamy has dismissed talk his party has allied with the Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of next year’s Lok Sabha election, explaining that negotiations are still in an “initial phase” and “a lot of discussions are yet to happen”. The former Chief Minister said BJP leader BS Yediyurappa’s comment – that an agreement is in place – reflected his “personal reaction”.

“Yediyurappa’s reaction is his personal… Until now, there has been no discussion on seat sharing or anything. We have met cordially… These are initial phases of discussions… He (Mr Yediyurappa) has spoken good about our party… (I) thank him for his statement,” Mr Kumaraswamy said today.

The JDS leader also nixed media reports claiming his party is “adamant” on being allowed to stand for the Mandya Lok Sabha seat – won by a BJP-backed independent candidate in 2019 – and at least two others, including the Tumkur seat party boss HD Deve Gowda unsuccessfully contested.

“… all these have not yet been discussed. I appeal to media friends not to speculate when discussions are still in an initial phase. Meeting of party workers has been called… their opinion will be gathered.”

A meeting had also been held Wednesday – at Mr Kumaraswamy’s Bengaluru home – to canvas party leaders’ opinions on joining hands with the BJP, news agency ANI reported.

On Thursday Mr Yediyurappa claimed the BJP and the JDS had struck a deal, one that will see the smaller party contest four of the state’s 28 Lok Sabha seats and which “will help us win 25 or 26 seats”.

READ | As Opposition Teams Up For Big 2024 Fight, BJP Plans A Pact In South

However, hours later BJP sources told NDTV nothing had been finalised and that talks were ongoing.

JDS vs Congress Over BJP Deal Reports

Meanwhile, Mr Kumaraswamy also took swipes at the ruling Congress, which was critical of news of the tie-up; Jagadish Shettar – who moved from the BJP ahead of the May Assembly polls – warned both parties, “You will lose the trust of people (if you) form alliances based on your convenience”.

Congress leader and current Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, questioned the regional party’s secular credentials, alleging it does not have any ideology and would do anything for the sake of power.

“People need this (the alliance with the BJP) because Congress is looting the state. People need alternatives… there is a feeling among people this alliance is good,” HD Kumaraswamy hit back.

JDS Struggling?

The JDS has formed coalition governments with both BJP and Congress – for 20 months from January 2006, and for 14 months from May 2018; the latter time with Mr Kumaraswamy as the Chief Minister.

However, dismal shows in the two previous elections – 2019 Lok Sabha and 2023 Assembly polls – have led some to ask if the party can still pull in votes. In 2019 the BJP swept the state, winning 25 of 28 seats on its own, and in May, a JDS pitched as a “kingmaker” flopped after it won just 19 seats.

A defiant Mr Kumaraswamy, told the Congress to focus on governance and not “comment on our party”. “… ‘you are in power… people blessed you. Do good work’,” he told reporters.

Why JDS Deal For BJP?

In June, sources told NDTV of the possibility of a BJP-JDS alliance.

The BJP is now without a government in South India. The party was booted out of Tamil Nadu in 2021 and routed in Kerala. Both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have also proven resistant.

Of these states, Telangana votes for a new government later this year and the BJP is eager to have local footprints in each state as it builds back up ahead of next year’s mega election.

With that in mind, the AIADMK alliance has been renewed and talks are also on with smaller Kerala parties. The BJP is already in a coalition government in Puducherry.

With input from agencies

Bangalore:

Former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, who has recovered from a stroke due to timely treatment, said on Sunday that this was his “third birth”.

Giving credit to God and the team of doctors who treated him, the JD(S) second-in-command said he got a new lease of life to be amidst the people of the state.

Before being discharged, Mr Kumaraswamy also appealed to the people not to take the symptoms of stroke and paralysis lightly.

“For the past five days, some of my friends were in fear. If I am talking to you, then I must say that I got a rebirth,” the former chief minister said.

“With regard to my health, God has given me a third birth. If a person gets one birth, in my case I am of the opinion that in my 64 years of age, I got my third birth,” he added.

Mr Kumaraswamy was hospitalised in the early hours of August 30 at a reputed hospital in the city.

Doctors treating him said he had had a stroke, which was then cured completely.

Recalling the turn of events that led to his hospitalisation, the JD(S) leader said he woke up at about 2 am on August 30 and felt his health was not in good condition.

The JD(S) leader said he quickly called his brother-in-law and eminent cardiologist Dr C N Manjunath and later consulted a neurologist who advised him to get admitted.

Mr Kumaraswamy appealed to the people of the state not to waste even a single minute whenever they come across such symptoms.

“I sensed the symptoms of paralysis at 2 am. If had ignored it and said I will go to the doctor in the morning, I would have spent the rest of my life permanently on the bed,” he said.

He said never think that doctors are working to make money because when the patient comes, they sincerely make an effort to save them.

Speaking on the occasion, eminent neurologist and former director of NIMHANS Dr P Satishchandra said people should be aware of the ‘BE-FAST’ method to detect a stroke — where B stands for Balance, E for Eyes, F for Face, A for Arms, S for Speech and T for Time.

“These are the five symptoms. If there is less strength in the arm, if one lisps or stammers, if there is difficulty in eyes, if there are changes in the face, then without wasting time rush to a hospital,” he said.

It is also important to take the patient to the right hospital, Dr Satishchandra added. He said the hospital where the patient is taken should be stroke ready.

“It should be a hospital which has all the equipment and experts required for treating stroke patients. Then we get the time. We call it the ‘golden hour’, which means the patient should be brought within three hours. Once the patient is brought within three hours, we get one hour to start our other works,” the doctor explained. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)