Union Minister Kumaraswamy Accuses Karnataka CM Shivakumar of Poster Smear Campaign

Union Minister for Heavy Industries H.D. Kumaraswamy on Wednesday accused Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar of orchestrating a smear campaign through posters that have appeared in Bidadi. The posters allegedly featured photographs of Mr. Kumaraswamy and his son Nikhil Kumaraswamy, along with claims that they owned 100 acres of land.

Speaking to presspersons, Mr. Kumaraswamy expressed disappointment, stating, “I had assumed that after becoming the Chief Minister, he would stop resorting to such tactics, but he has not. I will not be weakened by the personal attacks and my fight will only become intense.” He asserted that defaming opponents was the last resort of those incapable of confronting issues politically. “This is exactly what Mr. Shivakumar is doing by indulging in a poster campaign to malign me. They have used my wife’s photographs,” he alleged.

Mr. Kumaraswamy also claimed that similar posters were put up targeting other political figures, including R. Ashoka, Chalavadi Narayanswamy, and B.Y. Vijayendra. He provided details of his own land holdings, stating that the total extent of land in his name is 46 acres, purchased four decades ago, while his wife Anita Kumaraswamy has purchased approximately 37 acres.

The Union Minister further levelled serious allegations against the Chief Minister. “This is the man with the dubious history of grabbing land by obtaining the thumb impression of a deceased person. The same person who usurped land in Benniganahalli is now getting posters put up through his associates,” he said, without providing immediate evidence for these claims.

In a related development, the Janata Dal (Secular) party has urged the public to participate in a padayatra on June 21 from Anchipura to Hosuru, in which Nikhil Kumaraswamy will take part. The event appears to be a show of solidarity in the wake of the poster controversy.

The exchange marks the latest in a series of heated political confrontations between the state’s ruling Congress and the opposition JD(S). Both leaders have traded accusations in the past, often personal in nature. As of now, the Chief Minister’s office has not issued an official response to these allegations. The situation remains tense, and further developments are expected.