HD Kumaraswamy has surrendered completely to the rampant corruption prevalent in the state of Karnataka. He acknowledged that corruption is so much that he doesn’t know from where to start the process of clean up. He said, “The rot in the system is so deep that I shudder at the thought of a clean-up and don’t know where to begin.” He was speaking at Gandhi Bhavan in Bengaluru while addressing a gathering of Gandhians where 100-year-old freedom fighter H S Doreswamy was also present. One must appreciate HD Kumaraswamy for his true and honest confession. At least he has done something honestly. Even if he didn’t mean it that way, Kumaraswamy is indirectly accusing the previous Congress regime for allowing the corruption to foster and flourish at every level of the government to such an extent that now it has become impossible for the new Chief Minister Kumaraswamy to clean it.
Calling himself ‘Chief Minister of circumstances’, Kumaraswamy stated that, “If I try to uproot it immediately, I won’t be allowed to remain in power even for two minutes.”Ostensibly, his speech was aimed at the bureaucrats. During his speech, he stated that, “I will tell the officials that there has been enough loot so far. I won’t ask them about how much has been swindled till date but from now on, they should realize the problems that the state and its people are facing.” But, the bureaucrats are not in a position to remove him from his office if he starts cleaning up. There is only one person who can remove him from his post in two minutes if he starts the clean-up process, and that person doesn’t want corruption to go away.
In fact that person made so much political comprises only in order to stay in power so that the Karnataka state can be used as an ATM for upcoming 2019 General elections. That person strategically made Kumaraswamy Chief Minister against the wishes of the Karnataka Congress State leadership. Kumaraswamy also revealed that he never wanted the post of Chief Minister but forced it on him. He stated that, “I did not want to become Chief Minister. My father also told the Congress, including its central leadership, that I have undergone two heart surgeries. He suggested that someone from their party should be made the CM but the Congress was insistent and forced me to become the Chief Minister.”
HD Kumaraswamy, throughout his speech, stressed on the need to remove the corruption but didn’t speak a single word against the corruption done by the political class. It only implies that Kumaraswamy is afraid of speaking against the main corrupt politicians who are behind the rampant corruption in the state. Kumaraswamy is not the victim of the corruption rather a willing accomplice. He has been non-committal about getting rid of the Anti-corruption Bureau set up by the previous government and now his alliance partner. ACB is perceived as a hindrance to Lokayukta. He offered many excuses for not disbanding the ACB like coalition issues and need for discussion with other fellows which further cements the fact that now he is a willing accomplice and fearful of acting against the corrupt politicians.
