Bengaluru: Lashing out at former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy who is allegedly involved in a ‘Cash for Seat’ controversy after he was caught discussing this on an audio CD, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said Mr Kumaraswamy cannot speak on behalf of everyone and should stick to his party’s affairs. Mr Kumaraswamy had dismissed the controversy saying all parties indulged in corruption.
Speaking to reporters after garlanding the statue of former deputy prime minister, Babu Jagjeevanram here on Sunday, Mr Siddaramaiah said: “I have not heard the conversation in the CD. If a cat drinks milk closing its eyes, it doesn’t mean that the entire world is not watching it drink the milk. Whoever has done it, a mistake is a mistake. Corruption is corruption. If he (Kumaraswamy) says other parties are also doing it, it is not a defence at all,” he said.
“I would like leave it to the people to judge Mr Kumaraswamy’s action rather than comment on his defence. His defence isn’t ever worth my comment,” he sarcastically remarked. In the CD, Mr Kumaraswamy purportedly tells the supporters of MLC seat aspirant Mr Vijugowda Patil, a JD(S) leader from Bijapur district, about the demand for money from his party MLAs. He is heard telling the supporters of Mr Patil that ‘each MLA of JD(S) is asking for Rs 1 crore’ and that ‘40 people (JDS MLAs) are asking for 40 crore.” The CD surfaced mysteriously with all Kannada TV channels playing the audio clip.
