Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], November 2 : Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge on Monday said the state police would summon Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy if any evidence emerged against him in connection with the alleged sting operation, asserting that the government was acting within the law.
Responding to Kumaraswamy's remarks questioning the delay in constituting a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged sting operation, Kharge said the state government was not interested in targeting the Union Minister but would not hesitate to summon him if evidence warranted such action.
Speaking to the reporters, Kharge said, "Nobody wants to touch him as well. If you recollect, he was the one when we sent notices to his office bearers to come and give a statement. He was the one who came to the Commissioner's Office and did dharma and said 'touch me'. He was the one who went to the DG office in Padyatra and said 'touch me'. We are not interested in touching him. If there is no evidence against him, why would we want to call him? But even if there is a shred of evidence against him, we will summon him. We will not hesitate.”
“Me being the Home Minister does not make me extraconstitutional power. I have to work within the law, and I'm working within the law. If I find evidence against Kumaraswamy, he will be summoned. Just yesterday we got an award by the Central Government for Prajwal Revanna's case, his nephew's case, saying that we have done an excellent job. Amit Shah has put a medal here for me, saying that the Karnataka Police have done a great job. So, he just has to be a little patient; we will show what the Karnataka police is capable of,” he said.
The Home Minister also alleged that a Union Minister was attempting to persuade the Centre to name Congress leaders and him in the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) scam through the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
He also said, "I have just put out a tweet that a Union Minister is desperately trying to convince the Modi Govt to name Congress leaders and me in the KPSC scam through ED...Is Mr Kumaraswamy the only Union Minister in Mr Modi's cabinet? Is he the only Union Minister who is aware of the KPSC scam? I don't know if he's coming and speaking to you; he must be guilty of something. These questions should be asked to him, not to me..."
Kharge's remarks came after Kumaraswamy questioned him over the delay in constituting an SIT to investigate the alleged sting operation. The Union Minister had also asked why the Karnataka Cabinet Minister was afraid of the probe and alleged that the state government was avoiding an investigation despite directions from the High Court.