‘Will Retire If Proven Guilty’: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah Amid Kumaraswamy’s ‘Cash For Transfer’ Accusations

Siddaramaiah claimed that Kumaraswamy was in fact recounting the corruption which took place during his tenure and said he will retire even if a single case was proven against him. 

Karnataka News: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah Sunday said he will retire from politics if the “cash for transfer” allegations levelled against him by former CM H D Kumaraswamy are proven right. Siddaramaiah claimed that JD(S) chief was in fact recounting the corruption which took place during his tenure and said he will retire even if a single case was proven against him.

“He (Kumaraswamy) is speaking about the money they (Kumaraswamy and JDS leaders) took for transfers. They took money during his tenure. In our tenure, we have not taken any money. I have already said — I will retire from politics, if it’s proved that I have taken money in even a single case of transfer,” the Chief Ministers told reporters in Bengaluru.

“I have told you not to ask about it (Kumaraswamy’s allegations). Haven’t I responded to it already? Let him tweet (post on X) a number of times. He is speaking about what they did during his tenure (as CM),” Siddaramaiah said in response to a question about Kumaraswamy’s accusations against him and his son Yathindra.

“Let him tweet a hundred times, I don’t want to reply,” he added.

‘Cash for transfer’

JD(S) state president H D Kumaraswamy had recently accused Siddaramaiah and his son Yathindra, a former Congress MLA, of being involved in a “cash for transfer” racket.

Kumaraswamy had recently sought to link a phone conversation between Yathindra and Siddaramaiah, which was widely circulated on social media, to allege a cash for postings/transfer’ scam, a charge which has been rightly rejected by the chief minister and his son.

Continuing his attack, Kumaraswamy has even alleged that an official, whose name was mentioned in a phone conversation between the CM and his son, had figured in the transfer list of police inspectors released recently.

Yathindra acting as “Super Chief Minister”

Further accusing Yathindra of acting like a “Super Chief Minister”, the JD(S) leader had even sought the resignation of Siddaramaiah over a video clip.

On Sunday, Kumaraswamy, in a series of tweets, accused Siddaramaiah of “outsourcing” his Varuna constituency in Mysuru district to his son Yathindra.

Yathindra from 2018-23 had represented the Varuna segment, and in 2023, he gave up the seat to his father Siddaramaiah to contest from his home seat for one last time, and himself did not contest from any other constituency.

“The people of Varuna have chosen you (Siddaramaiah). You have to do their work yourself. Why outsource the constituency to your son? I never outsourced the constituency to my son when I was CM. You have outsourced Varuna to the son,” Kumaraswamy posted.

Noting that as far as he knows, no CM has ever outsourced his constituency to children, he accused Siddaramaiah of giving power to his son, through the backdoor, by ensuring him a Karnataka Development Programme (KDP) post in the segment. “Is there any provision in the constitution that allows this? If so, let me know.”

Further stating that as far as he knows, CSR stands for Corporate Social Responsibility, Kumaraswamy said, “Now it has become Corrupt Son Of Siddaramaiah! Have you outsourced to your son — to do CSR collection in the state? Is he in-charge of CSR for 224 constituencies (in the state)? You seem to have your eye on the 2 per cent CSR as well.”

(With PTI inputs)