‘IPS Officer Hemanth Nimbalkar gets paid leave overseas despite stadium stampede intelligence failure’

Mysuru: Predicting a major political shake-up by year-end, MLC A.H. Vishwanath asserted that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will be replaced, with either Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar or AICC President M. Mallikarjun Kharge stepping in to lead the State.

Addressing a press conference at Jaladarshini Guest House in Mysuru this morning, Vishwanath criticised Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for Government’s decision to conduct a fresh caste census.

He pointed out that over Rs. 180 crore had already been spent on the Kantharaj and Jayaprakash Hegde Commissions for the same purpose, questioning the fate of those reports now that a new survey has been ordered.

Accusing Siddaramaiah of deceiving the backward classes, Vishwanath expressed doubt that a fresh survey would materialise, arguing that Siddaramaiah would not remain in office for long.

He asserted that the Chief Minister could have won public admiration had he refused the High Command’s directive for a new caste census, adding that the efforts of over one lakh teachers who participated in the previous Kantharaj Commission survey had now gone to waste.

Taking strong exception to the expenditure of over Rs. 40 crore on last year’s Dasara festivities, with about 40 percent of the budget spent on Yuva Dasara alone, Vishwanath alleged corruption in the utilisation of Dasara funds. He also urged authorities not to transport Dasara elephants from their camps to Mysuru in lorries.

Commenting on the tragic stampede during the RCB victory celebrations in Bengaluru on June 4, which claimed the lives of 11 youths, Vishwanath remarked that not a single Karnataka player was part of the RCB team.

He questioned Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s claim that he was informed about the stampede only at 5.50 pm, when the incident had actually occurred at 3.50 pm.  He further alleged that senior IPS officer Hemanth Nimbalkar, who was serving as the State Intelligence Chief at the time, was conveniently sent on paid leave abroad instead of being dismissed, as the officer’s wife is a Congress leader and former MLA.