Bellary, Aug 25: Brushing aside as baseless the corruption charges levelled against him and his family members by suspended BJP legislator G Janardhana Reddy, Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy today asserted that no force could topple his government.
Talking to reporters at the Jindal helipad en route to Raichur to take part in a function, he said, ''No force can shake the strong foundation of my government. Mr Reddy perhaps thought that he has given me sleepless nights and made a big achievement by displaying some evidences like CDs to prove his charge against me. But he is wrong. He is only fooling the people. I stood on my own and fought alone to protect myself and my legislators.'' Referring to the allegation that his family and he had purchased property using the bribe amount taken by him after assuming power, Mr Kumaraswamy clarified that every property transaction had been legally made.
''My family members have been doing individual business since 1982. All financial transactions are legal and we have paid our taxes properly and filed income tax returns. Mr Reddy's claim that I have accumulated enormous property by taking bribe after becoming the Chief Minister is totally baseless,'' he added.
Clarifying that the property he had purchased at Whitefield on the outskirts of the city was not a recent transaction, Mr Kumaraswamy claimed that the property, including the land and the building on it, was valued at Rs 26 crore by the Sub Registrar. ''If they (Mr Reddy and his supporters) still say that the property is worth Rs 195 crore, then I am willing to sell it them at that rate.
All transactions had been done as per the IT rules,'' he added.
Mr Reddy had stirred a hornet's nest a few weeks ago by alleging that Mr Kumaraswamy and Forests Minister C Chennigappa had received a bribe of Rs 150 crore from the mining lobby in the district.
Though he had retracted his statement following the intervention of the top brass of the BJP, he soon stuck to his earlier charge, prompting the party to suspend him on disciplinary grounds.
Mr Reddy had on August 23 released evidences such as CDs, audio tapes and some documents to prove his charge and also moved the Karnataka High Court seeking a CBI probe into the entire episode. He had also alleged that Mr Kumaraswamy and his family members, including his brothers and sister-in-laws, had purchased property using the bribe amount.
He urged the media not to carry the ''misleading'' statements being made by Mr Reddy.
Referring to former Deputy Chief Minister and Congress leader Siddaramaiah's announcement that a massive rally would be held in Mysore on September three in which about 10 lakh party workers would participate, Mr Kumaraswamy wondered from where he had got the money to organise such a big rally. ''Can Mr Siddaramaiah account for it,'' he asked.
After a brief halt at the helipad, Mr Kumaraswamy left for Raichur to lay the foundation stone for the eighth unit of the Raichur Thermal Power Station.
UNI
Talking to reporters at the Jindal helipad en route to Raichur to take part in a function, he said, ''No force can shake the strong foundation of my government. Mr Reddy perhaps thought that he has given me sleepless nights and made a big achievement by displaying some evidences like CDs to prove his charge against me. But he is wrong. He is only fooling the people. I stood on my own and fought alone to protect myself and my legislators.'' Referring to the allegation that his family and he had purchased property using the bribe amount taken by him after assuming power, Mr Kumaraswamy clarified that every property transaction had been legally made.
''My family members have been doing individual business since 1982. All financial transactions are legal and we have paid our taxes properly and filed income tax returns. Mr Reddy's claim that I have accumulated enormous property by taking bribe after becoming the Chief Minister is totally baseless,'' he added.
Clarifying that the property he had purchased at Whitefield on the outskirts of the city was not a recent transaction, Mr Kumaraswamy claimed that the property, including the land and the building on it, was valued at Rs 26 crore by the Sub Registrar. ''If they (Mr Reddy and his supporters) still say that the property is worth Rs 195 crore, then I am willing to sell it them at that rate.
All transactions had been done as per the IT rules,'' he added.
Mr Reddy had stirred a hornet's nest a few weeks ago by alleging that Mr Kumaraswamy and Forests Minister C Chennigappa had received a bribe of Rs 150 crore from the mining lobby in the district.
Though he had retracted his statement following the intervention of the top brass of the BJP, he soon stuck to his earlier charge, prompting the party to suspend him on disciplinary grounds.
Mr Reddy had on August 23 released evidences such as CDs, audio tapes and some documents to prove his charge and also moved the Karnataka High Court seeking a CBI probe into the entire episode. He had also alleged that Mr Kumaraswamy and his family members, including his brothers and sister-in-laws, had purchased property using the bribe amount.
He urged the media not to carry the ''misleading'' statements being made by Mr Reddy.
Referring to former Deputy Chief Minister and Congress leader Siddaramaiah's announcement that a massive rally would be held in Mysore on September three in which about 10 lakh party workers would participate, Mr Kumaraswamy wondered from where he had got the money to organise such a big rally. ''Can Mr Siddaramaiah account for it,'' he asked.
After a brief halt at the helipad, Mr Kumaraswamy left for Raichur to lay the foundation stone for the eighth unit of the Raichur Thermal Power Station.
UNI
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