Kumaraswamy Alleges Congress Used Public Funds for Delhi CJP Protests

Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy alleged on Friday that the Congress government in Karnataka had used public funds to back protests in Delhi by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) against the NDA government at the Centre, and said the demonstrations were intended to "destabilise the country". The allegations, made at a public interaction in Bengaluru, have not been independently verified, and no documentary evidence was placed in the public domain.

The Janata Dal (Secular) leader was reacting to remarks he attributed to Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge — that the Congress and the CJP were alike, and that no legal action would be taken against CJP activists "irrespective of the disturbances they caused". Mr. Kumaraswamy said Mr. Kharge was "encouraging unrest" and asked whether different laws applied to different groups. A response from Mr. Kharge or the State government was not available at the time of this report.

Alleging what he described as a conspiracy to remove Siddaramaiah as Chief Minister, Mr. Kumaraswamy said Mr. Kharge was involved because his father, AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, had not become Chief Minister. This is an allegation about political motive; no evidence was presented in support of it.

Responding to Mr. Priyank Kharge's criticism of his performance as a Union Minister, Mr. Kumaraswamy cited the financial record of public sector undertakings under his departments. He said the BHEL factory, which had been earning a profit of about ₹200 crore, was now generating profits of more than ₹1,500 crore. He also said the Steel Authority of India Ltd. had recorded a profit of ₹3,500 crore this year, against a target of at least ₹10,000 crore for the next year.

Mr. Kumaraswamy also raised alleged irregularities in recruitment by the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) during Mr. Kharge's tenure as Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj. He said 10 of the 24 candidates selected for engineering posts had secured their positions through malpractice, and that although a KPSC inquiry had recommended cancelling the appointments, the recommendation was rejected and appointment orders were issued to all 24 candidates. He further alleged irregularities in the selection of veterinary candidates, and questioned why the government had approached the High Court to obtain a stay on an investigation.

Speaking at Bunts Sangha in Vijayanagar, Bengaluru, at an interaction with candidates affected by the alleged KPSC recruitment scam, Mr. Kumaraswamy called for a comprehensive overhaul of the commission.

The remarks come amid a sustained political confrontation in Karnataka between the Congress government and the Opposition, and against the backdrop of the CJP's protests in Delhi, which followed the denotification of the Jantar Mantar protest site — a decision that raised questions about the space available for peaceful assembly in the capital. Mr. Kumaraswamy has separately been pressing his attack on Mr. Kharge over an alleged sting operation involving former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

Public funds are subject to legislative oversight, and allegations of misuse are ordinarily examined by audit and investigative agencies; no such examination has been reported in this matter. The claims of recruitment malpractice are likewise contested and have not been established in any forum reported here. Readers should note that the statements summarised above were made by Mr. Kumaraswamy, and that the individuals and institutions named have not been shown to have been found at fault.