Kumaraswamy raises questions over clean chit in Hassan bribery row

Bengaluru: Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Monday, November 9, accused the Karnataka government of attempting to shield officials facing corruption allegations in connection with the Hassan Deputy Commissioner’s office.

Reacting to Chief Minister D K Shivakumar‘s reported clean chit to those concerned, Kumaraswamy said the emergence of WhatsApp chat records allegedly discussing bribery should have prompted an investigation rather than an immediate dismissal of the allegations.

Addressing the media in Bengaluru, he recalled that Shivakumar had earlier declared that the government would not tolerate even a Rs 10 bribe and had encouraged people to report officials demanding money. However, the Chief Minister had not ordered an inquiry into the Hassan allegations, Kumaraswamy said.

On the possibility that the WhatsApp conversations were artificially created using AI, he said artificial intelligence had become a convenient excuse for those seeking to escape scrutiny. Once the Chief Minister had already given a clean chit, there was little reason to expect a fair investigation, he remarked.

Kumaraswamy also levelled broader allegations of corruption in government postings. He claimed that officials were being forced to wait for appointments for three to four months because money was allegedly being demanded in exchange for postings.

He questioned whether government officers could work honestly when they were allegedly subjected to such pressure. He also remarked that corruption was continuing despite people taking oaths in the name of God.

The Union Minister clarified that he had not named any particular minister, Deputy Commissioner or official in his earlier statements. He had only shared information contained in WhatsApp chats brought to his attention, which reportedly discussed bribery at the Hassan DC’s office.

Kumaraswamy said it was for the state government to investigate the matter and take appropriate action. He further questioned why officials were approaching the media to defend themselves when he had not specifically identified anyone.

If the officials were confident of their integrity, they should have investigated what was happening within their offices and initiated strict action wherever necessary, rather than publicly attacking him, he added.

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