Quote Hanger
I welcome the probe
BENGALURU:
The most intriguing part of the denotification case against former Chief Ministers B.S. Yeddyurappa and H.D. Kumaraswamy is that Rajashekharaiah, the original applicant for denotifification on grounds that he had possession of the land, was nowhere in the picture when the land was denotified.
Instead of Rajashekharaiah, Vimala, Mr. Kumaraswamy’s mother-in-law, turned up claiming she had a registered general power of attorney from the original landowners, Thimma Reddy, T. Nagappa and Muniswamappa, and took possession of the land. In what turns out to be another intriguing transaction, she executes a sale deed to her son T.S. Channappa, thereby retaining the land within the family.
The complainant in the case, RTI activist Jayakumar Hiremath, has alleged that Mr. Kumaraswamy even when he was the Chief Minister took undue interest in the case and even overruled officials on denotification.
The first report by officials concerned on the file recommended against denotification as acquisition proceedings were completed and land taken possession of. However, Mr. Kumaraswamy wrote a note seeking a re-inquiry into the issue. Again Principal Secretary, Urban Development Department, in his report recommended against denotification.
Mr. Kumaraswamy was succeeded by Mr. Yeddyurappa at this juncture, who denotified the land. A report was prepared by lower rank officials in Bangalore Development Authority saying that the lands were vacant in the last minute, to aid denotification.
“It is intriguing as to where did Mr. Rajashekharaiah, based on whose complaint the entire file was moved, disappeared and Mr. Kumaraswamy’s mother-in-law came into the picture. Mr. Rajashekharaiah appears to be only a dummy set up by Mr. Kumaraswamy to buy the land through his mother-in-law,” alleged Mr. Hiremath.
When contacted, Mr. Yeddyurappa refused to comment on the issue.
I am ready for any kind of probe. In fact, I had rejected the application for notification when I was the Chief Minister. If at all I was interested in the case, I would have cleared the file during my tenure itself. What was the need for me to approach Yeddyurappa to get the file cleared? What can I do if the parties carried out the transactions during Yeddyurappa’s tenure? I had closed the case during my tenure. I again clarify that I have no role in the transaction materialised after denotification.
H.D. Kumaraswamy,
Former Chief Minister
Nobody is above the law. Ultimately, the court of law decides who is right and wrong.
G. Parameshwara
KPCC president
