Mysuru: Former MP A.H. Vishwanath has come out strongly against Chief Minister Siddharamaiah accusing him of using the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) to target former Minister and Chamundeshwari MLA G.T. Devegowda to fix him in the Karnataka Housing Board (KHB) Scam and thereby dent his image.

Addressing press persons at a private hotel this morning, he said that Siddharamaiah, with the fear of losing in the ensuing Assembly Polls from Chamundeshwari constituency, was using ACB as a tool to cow down G.T. Devegowda.

Terming it as political vendetta, Vishwanath added that the CM, who had taken keen interest in KHB scam by handing over that investigation to ACB, had totally neglected the alleged scam related to acquisition of 821-acre land reported at Immavu in Nanjangud Taluk. He said that about 300 small farmers were cheated and 10 middlemen had received a payment of Rs. 11 crore each through cheque.

“The cases were booked against the dead while the corrupt officials were shielded. Even the previous Mysuru DC C. Shikha did not act on the issue,” he alleged.

Stating that people involved in the scam had received up to Rs. 100 crore in the Immavu case, Vishwanath added that the State Government had not acted against the local Tahsildar, Assistant Commissioner, KIADB officials on the issue.

‘The issue with regard to the KHB scam is between the farmers and middlemen. The State Government has unnecessarily added G.T. Devegowda’s name in the scam. This apart, Devegowda’s son Harish Gowda has also been named as one of the accused. Siddharamaiah has been targeting G.T. Devegowda’s supporters in the constituency only to take political advantage in the election,” he added.

He also chided Siddharamaiah on his secular stand, stating that the CM had chalked out a programme to take AICC President Rahul Gandhi on a temple tour during his visit to the State. “Instead of taking him (Rahul Gandhi) to temple, the CM must take him to RSS Head Quarters and make him fall at RSS Chief Mohan Bhaghvat’s feet”, he said.

The former MP took on Kempaiah, Advisor to State Home Ministry stating that the former Police Officer was acting as a Political Advisor to Chief Minister by influencing him to neglect the Kuruba community.

JD(S) MLA Sa.Ra. Mahesh said that Siddharamaiah had neglected the Arkavathi Scam and had not considered the report submitted by Kempanna Commission that probed the alleged illegal denotification of lands in the Arkavathi Layout in Bengaluru.

JD(S) City President and Corporator K.T. Cheluvegowda and JD(S) District President Narasimhaswamy and others were present.