Kumaraswamy questions Shivakumar over CCD founder’s death, latter hits back

Mysuru: Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy on Saturday asked the Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar who is responsible for the Cafe Coffee Day (CCD) founder V.G. Siddhartha’s death.

“Shivakumar was given a political life by S.M. Krishna at a time when he was a Kotwal (rowdy). He must tell people who is responsible for the death of Siddhartha and he should present the facts before the people,” the Union Minister said while addressing the concluding ceremony of BJP-JD (S) padyatra in Mysuru.

Siddhartha was the son-in-law of former Union Minister of External Affairs S.M. Krishna. Shivakumar’s daughter is married to the son of Siddhartha.

Siddhartha committed suicide after coming under financial strain.

Kumaraswamy said that Shivakumar along with others used to steal the iron chambers fixed for sewerage pipes during the night and sold them to the scrap industry to make money.

He said that Shivakumar often claims that under his leadership, people gave 136 seats in Assembly elections and his (Kumaraswamy) leadership JD-S got only 19 seats.

“Why did the people give you only 8 out of 28 Lok Sabha seats?” he asked.

Reacting to the charges of the Union Minister, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said that Kumaraswamy “needs urgent medical treatment for mental instability”.

“Kumaraswamy knows nothing about my relationship with former Union Minister of External Affairs S.M. Krishna. He has gone mad. I will tell his party men and well-wishers to get him medical attention for his mental health,” the Deputy Chief Minister said.

On the allegation of usurped properties, the Deputy Chief Minister said, “Let Kumaraswamy bring anyone whose property I have forcibly taken. It is not in my blood to usurp properties by force.”

On the allegation of assuming huge wealth, the Deputy Chief Minister said, “I come from a poor farmer family. My life began when I came to NPS School in Bengaluru.”

Replying to Kumaraswamy’s allegation that Shivakumar ditched him when he was the CM, he said, “Let the leaders of his party tell me how I ditched him when he was the CM. He clearly needs medical treatment.”