Karnataka Congress Ministers H.C. Balakrishna and Priyank Kharge on Wednesday, 30 September launched a sharp counter-offensive against Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, who had a day earlier levelled allegations against Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar over his asset holdings. The Congress leaders questioned the reportedly sharp rise in the property of Kumaraswamy's brother, Balakrishna Gowda, during Kumaraswamy's own tenure as Chief Minister — raising the stakes in an already escalating political confrontation in Bengaluru.

Background: The NICE Project Row

The exchange follows remarks by Kumaraswamy on Tuesday, in which he alleged irregularities linked to the Bengaluru-Mysuru Infrastructure Corridor (NICE) project and questioned the increase in Chief Minister Shivakumar's wealth. Shivakumar has rejected those allegations outright, asserting that his assets were acquired legally and fully disclosed to the Income Tax Department.

Balakrishna's Counterattack

Municipal Administration Minister H.C. Balakrishna turned the spotlight on Kumaraswamy's brother, questioning how Balakrishna Gowda's property had reportedly climbed to around ₹1,000 crore. 'How did his property become ₹1,000 crore all of a sudden? Let him explain. Did he earn ₹1,000 crore by growing potatoes?' Balakrishna asked. He pressed Kumaraswamy to clarify whether he would demand a similar investigation into his brother's wealth, which he alleged had surged during Kumaraswamy's time as Chief Minister. 'During his tenure, his brother's property saw a sudden increase of ₹1,000 crore. Does it mean that the property is benami of Kumaraswamy?' he added.

Balakrishna also dismissed Kumaraswamy's allegations as recycled, accusing him of referring to old documents instead of discharging his responsibilities as a Union Minister. He noted that investigative agencies — the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Income Tax Department — were capable of examining any evidence that was submitted, and that Congress leaders had nothing to conceal from their election affidavits.

Priyank Kharge Calls It Jealousy

Home, IT and BT Minister Priyank Kharge was equally blunt, attributing Kumaraswamy's remarks to 'jealousy and heartburn' and accusing the Union Minister of repeatedly raising personal issues rather than governance concerns. 'Kumaraswamy is a Union Minister and a former Chief Minister. He had two decades of time. He had time when he was Chief Minister. Why did he not do this then?' Kharge asked.

Kharge went further, challenging BJP and Janata Dal (Secular) [JD(S)] leaders to a comprehensive, open discussion on the assets of all politicians and their relatives. 'Let us call a special session and discuss how much property everyone has amassed, how much is yours and your relatives' property, how it came,' he said. He also urged Kumaraswamy to submit any evidence of illegality directly to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah if he genuinely believed laws had been broken.

The Broader Political Context

This is not the first time the NICE project has surfaced as a political flashpoint in Karnataka. The infrastructure corridor, which links Bengaluru and Mysuru, has historically attracted controversy over land acquisition and project delays, making it a recurring tool in opposition attacks against successive state governments. Critics argue that both the ruling Congress and the BJP-JD(S) alliance have at various points been entangled in the project's contested history — a contradiction that the latest exchange only underscores.

The war of words signals a deepening rift between the Congress-led state government and the BJP-JD(S) Opposition, with property and wealth disclosures increasingly becoming the central battleground in Karnataka politics. How Kumaraswamy responds to the pointed questions about his brother's assets will likely shape the next round of this confrontation.