Kumaraswamy hits back at Priyank Kharge over derogatory remark, questions his family’s contribution to Gurmitkal (LD)

New Delhi/Bengaluru, Nov 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel, H.D. Kumaraswamy, on Thursday launched a sharp attack on Karnataka Minister for Home, IT and BT Priyank Kharge over a derogatory remark, questioning the contribution of the Kharge family to the rural people of Gurmitkal constituency.

“I say proudly that I am a village idiot,” Kumaraswamy said, responding to Priyank Kharge's remark.

Addressing a press conference in Delhi, Kumaraswamy challenged Priyank Kharge to explain what his family had done for the farmers and rural households of the constituency, which had elected members of his family to the Assembly and Parliament eight times.

He questioned how much time Priyank Kharge and his father, AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, had spent visiting villages and addressing the problems of people in Gurmitkal consituency. He also asked how many rural families had benefited from Priyank Kharge's tenure as a minister, particularly when he was handling the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) portfolio.

“Those villagers, farmers and rural families have given your family responsibility for nearly 40 years. How much have you contributed to improving their lives?” he asked.

Referring to the ongoing controversy surrounding the alleged sting operation linked to former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Kumaraswamy accused Priyank Kharge of demanding evidence from him despite allegedly having relevant documents within his department.

He recalled that he had become Chief Minister in 2018 with Congress support but was no longer in office when the alleged sting operation took place in 2023. He questioned why Priyank Kharge was now asking him for explanations when the Congress government was in power at the time.

“You ask us to provide documents and proof" he said.

"In the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) issue, when you were handling the RDPR department, how were appointment letters issued to 24 Assistant Executive Engineers (AEEs)? The appointment letters were issued in haste. In whose interest were they issued?” he questioned.

Kumaraswamy claimed that the KPSC had sent the complete documents to the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR) and the Chief Secretary. He said he had already provided the relevant documents to Priyank Kharge and questioned why no action had been taken.

“This village idiot has provided all the proof, but those documents remain untouched till now. You are asking me for evidence when the documents are right under your chair,” he alleged.

Taking a broader dig at Priyank Kharge, he said the latter's educational background and political position should not be used to look down upon people. Kumaraswamy recalled his father and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda's journey from an ordinary farming family to the country's highest executive office.

“You may wear suits and have studied in prestigious institutions, but I know the difficulties faced by farmers who wear dirty clothes. We have not come from the background you belong to. We come from ordinary village families,” he claimed.

“My father always proudly says that he is the son of a farmer. After becoming Prime Minister, even for 10 months, he made contributions to the country. There are records of his achievements, and people gave him the title of 'son of the soil',” he said.

Reiterating his response to Priyank Kharge, Kumaraswamy said he was proud of his rural identity and understood the hardships of farmers and ordinary villagers.

Source: IANS