‘Shouldn’t I own property?’: Shivakumar responds to Kumaraswamy’s scam charge

Shivakumar also challenged Kumaraswamy to approach the I-T department. (File Photos)

Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar Tuesday hit back at Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H D Kumaraswamy, calling him “very, very desperate” and accusing him of making allegations about his assets as he could not “tolerate the Congress government’s popularity.”

Kumaraswamy said Shivakumar’s fortune was linked to the alleged Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises (NICE) Road scam, and demanded the chief minister’s resignation.

Countering charges that his declared assets had risen from Rs 4 crore in 2003 to Rs 1,444 crore in 2023, Shivakumar dared Kumaraswamy to lodge a complaint with any agency, noting that the Election Commission, Enforcement Directorate, and Income Tax Department had already scrutinised his wealth.

“Rs 1,440‑odd crore is the net worth of my property now? Shouldn’t I own property? I am a farmer’s son who has businesses. When there is an opportunity to earn legally, we do it. What’s wrong with it?” Shivakumar asked while speaking to reporters in Delhi, responding to the JD(S) leader’s claim earlier in the day.

Shivakumar also challenged Kumaraswamy to approach the IT department. “I have declared everything,” he said.

The CM alleged that Kumaraswamy’s associates themselves owned land along the Bangalore–Mysore Infrastructure Corridor Project. “Why have they bought land there?” he asked, likening Kumaraswamy’s conduct to “a cat drinking milk with its eyes closed.”

Shivakumar said the appreciation of his assets was natural. “In the 1990s, I got a site during (former CM) Bangarappa’s tenure for Rs 1 lakh. It is worth Rs 20 crore now,” he said, adding that he owned “hundreds of properties” and had “every right to do business” and “the capacity to earn more.”

Story continues below this ad

Rejecting the allegations, Shivakumar declared he was “not afraid of hollow threats and ED cases”. “I have seen his drama, philosophy, blackmail and everything. He cannot tolerate the government’s popularity.”

On Kumaraswamy daring Shivakumar to a debate on the issue at the grand stairs of Vidhana Soudha, the CM said he was ready for a debate inside the Legislative Assembly. He asked Kumaraswamy to resign as Union Minister, enter the Assembly, and hold the debate on the issue.