Opposition victimising HDK on Land Grabbing issue

Bangalore, Jun 27: Janata Dal (S) President H D Deve Gowda today accused the Congress of spreading allegations that Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy had close contacts with Real Estate operators whose offices and homes were raided by Income tax officials. "We know who has cooked up this news that the Chief Minister is close to these real estate businessmen. Let there be a detailed discussion on the matter and Mr Kumaraswamy will defend himself. If he cannot do that he will step down," he said while speaking at a party function where former cricketer Dodda Ganesh joined the party today.

Asking Mr Kumaraswamy to deal with ironhand such speople, he said these people would be exposed in a few days without elaborating.

Mr Gowda said the JD(S)-BJP coalition government came into existence in Karnataka on a promise to follow a specific 'framework' agreed upon earlier. His party's only condition was that no section of the society should be targetted or victimised.

"I am saying this not in view of the votes of the minoritiy community. They are free to vote for anybody they wish. Our duty is to stand by the minority community and other weaker sections of the society always. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Karunanidhi recently said that he would like to follow the reservation policy extended to minorities in Karnataka. This is the testimony to our commitment," he said.

On continuing farmer suicides in Karnataka, he said the coailition government had done better than the UPA government in helping the farmers during their difficult times.

"I am disturbed to see more farmers committing suicide. When the government is doing much to help them and being a farmer myself I ask them not to take such steps anymore. The Chief Minister had once said that he would step down if the suicides continued. This was due to his feelings towards the farming class," he said.

Mr Gowda asked whether Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had resigned as farmers continued to commit suicide even after announcing the Vidharbha package. "Can UPA government take similar steps taken by the Karnataka government. Let (Union Finance Minister) Mr Chidambaram answer this," he said indirectly referring to state government extending farm loans at four per cent interest.

UNI

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