Bengaluru, Jan 5 (NationPress) Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy has made grave allegations against the Congress-led government, claiming a conspiracy to obscure the facts surrounding the Ballari shootout incident. He accused the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, and Home Minister of attempting to conceal the murder of their own party worker.

Kumaraswamy held a press conference at the party's state headquarters, JP Bhavan, in Bengaluru, revealing that significant information has surfaced regarding the shooting involving the gunman of a close aide of Ballari MLA Nara Bharat Reddy. He claimed that the postmortem of the deceased Congress worker Rajashekar was unlawfully conducted twice.

He insisted that the case should be entrusted to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for an exhaustive investigation.

“While the murder of Congress worker Rajashekar is one aspect, the shameful part is the Congress-led government's desperate attempts to cover up the killing of its own member. This involved conducting two postmortems on the victim’s body,” Kumaraswamy stated.

He raised questions about the findings of the initial postmortem and what new details arose in the subsequent examination, demanding clarity from the government. “According to the information I have, Rajashekar's body underwent postmortem twice,” he noted.

Why was the second postmortem necessary? Who pressured the authorities into it? Was it ordered because the first report was unfavorable? These were among his pointed questions.

“You claim to champion truth with your constant refrain of ‘Satyameva Jayate’ in advertisements. Now, tell the people what the second postmortem report reveals. The Chief Minister must disclose the truth to the public,” Kumaraswamy urged.

He alleged that the first postmortem report indicated the presence of small metal fragments in the body. By conducting the second postmortem, a conspiracy was allegedly orchestrated to wrongly implicate BJP MLA Gali Janardhana Reddy in the shooting, he contended.

However, he stated that the second postmortem instead unveiled the government's attempt to obscure the truth.

Kumaraswamy criticized the government’s investigation as insignificant, mentioning that while the Chief Minister claimed the firing was in the air, the Deputy Chief Minister publicly supported Ballari city MLA Nara Bharat Reddy. He highlighted that the Chief Minister admitted that the firing originated from the gunman of Bharat Reddy’s aide, Satish Reddy, yet the Home Minister had failed to order the gunman's arrest, instead delaying action through vague statements.

Accusing both the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister of trying to bury the Ballari shootout case, Kumaraswamy noted that the Deputy Chief Minister ridiculed Gali Janardhana Reddy’s request for security, even suggesting he seek protection from the US or Iran or enlist BJP workers for safety. “Is this the expected conduct of a Deputy Chief Minister?” he questioned.

Kumaraswamy challenged why only the Ballari Superintendent of Police faced action, asserting that if negligence was the reason, then the Additional SP and Inspector General should also be held accountable. He pointed out that during the Chinnaswamy Stadium stampede, multiple senior officers were suspended, yet in the Ballari case, only the SP was targeted. He questioned whether long-serving officers in the district were blameless.

In response to claims that unrest increased following Janardhana Reddy's return to Ballari, Kumaraswamy stated that Reddy had returned with Supreme Court approval a year and a half ago. He demanded statistics on how many incidents had occurred since then and how many cases had been filed. “Aligning with criminals is disgraceful,” he asserted.

He criticized the Home Minister as ineffective, alleging that the law and order situation in Karnataka had deteriorated. “Where did the numerous guns in Ballari come from? Did they arrive from Pakistan?” he asked sarcastically, demanding answers from Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar.

Kumaraswamy accused the government of shielding those responsible for the murder and claimed that Congress was firmly defending the accused. He warned that the same citizens who supported Congress during their padyatras would ultimately contribute to their downfall.

He questioned why Satish Reddy, the close associate of MLA Bharat Reddy implicated in the murder, had not yet been arrested, alleging that instead of taking action, the government was providing him with hospitality and treatment at public expense.

Addressing the alleged Rs 25 lakh cash compensation given to the victim's family by Minister Zameer Ahmad Khan, Kumaraswamy asked from which account the funds were disbursed, whether income tax regulations were adhered to, and if the amount was sourced from government or private funds. “The Income Tax Department should clarify this,” he stated.

Kumaraswamy concluded by asserting that Siddaramaiah would be the last Congress Chief Minister of Karnataka. “Law and order has completely unraveled in the state. Jungle raj has begun. This government treats officers like subordinates. D.K. Shivakumar supports Bharat Reddy merely to secure every vote in his ambition to become Chief Minister,” he charged.