Bengaluru: Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy (HDK) has lambasted Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, for harping on equalling the record of D. Devaraj Urs as a longest serving Chief Minister.

Addressing media persons at an emergency press meet convened at JD(S) office J.P. Bhavan here yesterday, to condemn the incidents that unfolded outside Gangavati MLA Gali Janardhan Reddy’s residence in Ballari on Jan. 1, escalated by the killing of a Congress worker in gunshot injuries, Kumaraswamy said, if one takes a look at the style of functioning of Siddaramaiah, he has to cover his record stint as CM with sand.

Mincing no words, Kumaraswamy said, Siddaramaiah, who is set to break Devaraj Urs’ record, will go down as the last CM of Congress party in history. The voters will surely teach them a fitting lesson, squashing their dream of retaining power in the next polls too.

“The last two-and-a-half years of Congress Governance in the State, is marked by misgovernance, with unabated corruption, endless murders, extortion, drug mafia and honour killings. The Government, which has failed to curb such heinous acts, reflects the perfunctory Government, that exists for the sake of completing a record under CM Siddaramaiah. The officials are condemned as slaves, without given any freedom in administration,” alleged Kumaraswamy.

The probe related to Ballari incident, where a Congress party worker named Rajashekar Reddy died of bullet injuries, during the tension that flared up over tying the banner of event related to the unveiling of bust of Maharshi Valmiki, near the house of G. Janardhan Reddy, should be handed over to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Besides, the IGP, Additional SP and Dy.SP should be suspended immediately, he demanded.

Kumaraswamy, mocked CM Siddaramaiah and Home Minister Dr. G. Parameshwar as ‘Nakali Shyama’ (the Kannada term meaning ‘ingenuine’ in English), for miserably failing to handle law and order in the State. The Home Minister lacks nerve and washes off his hands, by constituting a Special Investigation Team (SIT) when any high  profile cases are reported.

He appealed to Congress party workers, to wake up to the ploys of its own Government, as those in power are ready to sacrifice any of its party worker for the sake of power.

Siddaramaiah, his Deputy D.K. Shivakumar and the Home Minister made all efforts to hush up the Ballari case. It is left to anybody’s imagination, the nature of probe that would follow in the case. Moreover, to cover up the case, a wad of currency notes amounting to Rs. 25 lakh was handed over to the family members of the deceased party worker. To whom does the money belong to? Does it come under Income Tax? Asked Kumaraswamy, who went hammer and tongs on the                                             State Government.