Kumaraswamy threatens fast unto death if Ramanagara district is renamed

Bengaluru, Oct 26 (PTI) JD(S) state President H D Kumaraswamy on Thursday threatened to go on a fast until death if the Karnataka government decides to go-ahead with the proposal to rename Ramanagara district as ‘Bengaluru South’, claiming that he has emotional relationship with the district.

The former Chief Minister has also accepted Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar's challenge for an open debate that would be centred around Ramanagara district and the collapse of the Congress-JD(S) coalition government in 2019, in any of the TV news channels or during the upcoming winter session of the Karnataka Assembly.

Kumaraswamy was reacting to statements made by Shivakumar on Wednesday with respect to a proposal to rename Ramanagara district ‘Bengaluru South’, with which he hopes for impact of 'Brand Bengaluru' on smaller nearby towns.

"I will take it as a challenge, I have an emotional relationship with Ramanagara, I don't have any business relationship with the district. If Ramanagara district's name is changed, I am ready to risk my life and sit on fast until death, despite my ill health," Kumaraswamy said.

Speaking to reporters here, he said, "I have a dream about that district, so I too have a challenge for the sake of that dream, let's see. Till the last moment I will fight to protect the pride of that district." He also listed out his contribution for the development of Ramanagra district, as he questioned Shivakumar's contribution.

According to Shivakumar, the proposed Bengaluru South district will comprise five taluks -- Channapatna, Ramanagara, Kanakapura, Magadi, Harohalli -- with Ramanagara taluk as the district headquarters.

Kumaraswamy was the Chief Minister of the JD(S)-BJP coalition, when the Ramanagara district comprising -- Ramnagara, Channapatna, Magadi and Kanakapura taluks -- was created in August 2007.

Ramanagara, the district headquarters of the district with the same name, is about 48 km from Bengaluru city.

Kumaraswamy further said, "The Deputy Chief Minister has thrown a challenge at me stating that he is ready for a debate on any channel with high TRP. I accept it, I will not run away, because the materials that I have are not the ones which make me run away." Reacting to Kumaraswamy accepting his challenge, Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress chief said: "fix the debate either in the assembly or any of the news channels".

"Any time after three days, after November 1...what I have done, what he has done, let's discuss openly, let's not fire the bullet in the air. Fix the debate," he added.

Pointing out that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has blamed the previous BJP government for the current financial condition of the state, and has said that he will bring out a white paper during the upcoming assembly session, Kumaraswamy said, "I completely welcome it." The financial discipline maintained from 2013-18, during the five years of Congress government under Siddaramaiah, and the kind of decisions taken then, had its bearing on the five years of BJP rule, he said. "So blaming the BJP government for the deterioration of the financial condition of the state is not right." Reacting to Siddaramaiah calling him a "political villain", Kumaraswamy said, "yes, I'm a villain for him politically. Can I become his friend? Without any compromise as I'm bringing out his several mistakes before the people. I'm a villain for him." On Siddaramaiah's repeated attacks on him, accusing him of functioning as CM from a luxury hotel and that led to the collapse of JD(S)-Congress coalition government, the JD(S) leader, showing a huge book, said he has record of his everyday functioning as CM during 14 months tenure, and was ready to discuss it.

Hitting back at Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar for accusing him of inability to save the coalition government and not having any gratitude towards Congress and leaders who made him CM, Kumaraswamy pointed out that it was Congress which came to his door requesting him to become CM, but later put series of conditions on him causing hurdles in his free functioning, and made him their "puppet".

Accepting CM and Deputy CM's criticism that after blaming BJP for the collapse of his government, Kumaraswamy was now joining hands with the same saffron party, he said, "BJP might have removed my government, but who sowed seeds for it? You (Congress) set the stage for the BJP to bring down this government." Listing out various incidents which led to the collapse of the coalition government, he said that he was ready to discuss them all. "But, first focusing on addressing issues concerning people and farmers of the state," he told Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar.

Targeting Shivakumar by repeating his statement calling on people of Kanakapura not to sell their land as its value is expected to increase in the days to come, the former CM alleged that Shivakumar's team looted the compensation given to farmers for the land they gave to construct Bangalore dairy's milk powder unit in Kanakapura.

"How much did the farmer get, how much did you and your team --your MLC, your MP -- who had taken the General Power of Attorney (GPA) for the land-- get? You are taking Rs 56 lakh per acre, how much did you give to the farmer-- who is the original owner?" he asked and claimed that farmers were paid only Rs 50,000 or one lakh, and total land purchased was about 50 acre.

Noting that he has never indulged in any wrong doing or bribery in transfers or postings of government officials, Kumaraswamy said he accepts Magadi Congress MLA Balakrishna's challenge and asked him to bring CM, DCM and Ministers of this government to Dharmasthala or Chamundi Hills to swear before God in this regard. PTI KSU RS KSU ROH