Bengaluru, Oct 17 Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy has accused the state Congress government of spreading falsehoods regarding Hindustan Machine and Tools (HMT) and Kudremukh Iron and Steel Company (KIOCL).
“Stop trivial politics. Several industries are relocating to other states,” Kumaraswamy said.
Speaking at a press conference held at the JD-S state office, JP Bhavan, in Bengaluru on Thursday, the minister asserted, "If I am wrong, I will take responsibility."
He stated he is ready for discussions with the state government, along with documents. He urged Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre to stop trivial politics, mentioning that several industries, including Toyota, are relocating to other states.
“The state government should not politicise the KIOCL issue. If there are problems, we must sit down and resolve them. I am working to preserve public sector enterprises in the state. I will write to the Chief Ministers and the Forest Minister to convene a meeting where I will present my documents. If KIOCL is at fault, as the minister, I will take responsibility. Beyond that, it is inappropriate to politicise state interests,” he emphasised.
Kumaraswamy criticised Forest Minister Khandre for constantly issuing misleading statements to the media about both organisations, urging him to first read the documents and understand the facts before speaking.
He questioned if they could still be called ministers if they engaged in trivial politics regarding state development.
He said that due to the obstinacy of the state government, about 300-400 KIOCL workers have taken to the streets.
“While the government claims to create jobs for locals, it simultaneously shows neglect. Blaming the central government for every issue is futile,” the Union Minister said.
He said that Siddaramaiah should convene a meeting to discuss the problems. “If there are issues, I will take responsibility. I will write to Siddaramaiah regarding this,” Kumaraswamy stated.
Kumaraswamy mentioned the National Steel Plant (RINL) in Visakhapatnam, which faced difficulties due to a lack of operational funds, leading to the layoff of 4,500 workers. However, under the pressure of Central Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu, those workers were reappointed within 48 hours.
“While we receive such cooperation in neighbouring states, we do not have similar support in Karnataka,” he underlined.
“Will state development progress through statements made in passing? The state government must stop petty politics. Politics should not overshadow development, especially when elections are nearing. So far, no one has come to discuss state development with me. The only exception has been M.B. Patil, who visited my ministry in Delhi to discuss industrial development,” said Kumaraswamy.
Kumaraswamy pointed out that if the government wants approval for the Mekedatu project, mere demonstrations won’t suffice.
He asked what development grants have been discussed with Congress MLA Raju Kage and demanded that the minister bring the relevant documents to the meeting.
"Why isn't a meeting being convened? Let's discuss all issues with the documents in hand. Eshwar Khandre is making baseless statements," Kumaraswamy said.
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