Cheluvarayaswamy accuses HDK of accumulating ₹1,000 cr. from metal industries to fund elections; JD(S) phrases it a method to divert consideration from ‘excise rip-off’

A file picture of N. Cheluvarayaswamy
| Picture Credit score: Okay. Murali Kumar

Agriculture Minister N. Cheluvarayaswamy on Sunday (November 10, 2024), accused Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Metal H.D. Kumaraswamy of accumulating ₹1,000 crore from metal industries throughout the nation to fund Maharashtra and Jharkhand elections moreover the Channapatna byelection the place his son, Nikhil Kumaraswamy, is contesting.

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the Congress authorities of accumulating ₹700 crore from excise sources to fund the Maharashtra elections, it was the flip of Mr. Cheluvarayaswamy.

“The BJP and its allies have develop into determined to win elections by any means and are distributing massive sums of money. I’ve obtained info from these working in metal firms about Mr. Kumaraswamy accumulating over ₹1,000 crore. I urge the ED and I-T Division to research and provoke motion in opposition to Mr. Kumaraswamy. The Election Fee must also take observe,” he stated.

In the meantime, former Minister and JD(S) chief C.S. Puttaraju termed Mr. Cheluvarayaswamy’s allegation as an try to divert public consideration from the alleged elevating of funds by the Congress from excise sources. Talking to reporters in Mandya, he stated: “The Agriculture Minister ought to thoughts his language. Actually, Agriculture Division officers had written to the Governor elevating the difficulty of extortion by the Minister. He thinks that he can emerge as an enormous chief if he speaks in opposition to (JD-S leaders) H.D. Deve Gowda or Mr. Kumaraswamy.”