Mandya: Taking a dig at the Congress for alleging that his (HDK) close aides were involved in ManMUL milk adulteration scam, JD(S) leader and former CM H.D. Kumaraswamy (HDK) asserted that there was no question of protecting anyone involved in the scam.

Speaking to press persons after distributing ration kits to villagers at Hanakere in Mandya taluk on Monday, Kumaraswamy said that legal action has to be taken against anyone found looting public money.

Reiterating that there was no question of protecting anyone, including his close aides, if they were found involved in the scam, the former CM said that the Congress was in power when ManMUL Administrative Board came into being.

Accusing the Congress of  falsely blaming him when it was the actual culprit and apprehending that the milk adulteration scam may have been taking place for the last 15 years, Kumaraswamy  contended that it is the JD(S) members in ManMUL Board who unearthed the scam.

Stating that his party MLC Appajigowda had raised the Rs. 72 crore ManMUL scam in the Assembly a couple of years ago when he (HDK) was the Chief Minister, the JD(S) leader said that he had ordered a probe into the matter. But the current BJP Government has stayed the probe for reasons best known to it, he added.

Reacting to reports that Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa was getting closer to JD(S) Supremo and former PM  H.D. Deve Gowda in order to stay in power at a time when speculations are doing the rounds that the BJP may replace him with a younger leader, Kumaraswamy said that such reports were false and the JD(S) has nothing to do with any developments in the BJP. 

Accusing the national parties — Congress and BJP — of misusing the name of the former PM, HDK asserted that his party was not lenient towards any national party and the JD(S) was extending co-operation to the Government in this critical period when the entire nation is battling the deadly COVID-19.

JD(S) Youth Wing President Nikhil Kumaraswamy, Legislators M. Srinivas, Appajigowda, K.T. Srikantegowda and others were present during the press meet.