Bengaluru: Union Minister and former Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy has criticised the State Government’s decision to hold a Cabinet meeting in Mangaluru, describing it as a “touring talkies” exercise and questioning the expenditure involved in moving a large government entourage outside Bengaluru.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru on Saturday, Kumaraswamy said the money spent on taking ministers and officials to Mangaluru could instead have been used for measures benefiting farmers. He also questioned the outcome of holding Cabinet meetings at district headquarters, saying previous chief ministers had conducted similar meetings outside Bengaluru.
His remarks came a day after Chief Minister D K Shivakumar chaired the first-ever Karnataka Cabinet meeting in Mangaluru on September 18. The meeting resulted in a package of decisions and proposals covering the coastal region, with the government announcing projects and initiatives valued at Rs 32,611 crore.
Kumaraswamy questions Cabinet meeting outside Bengaluru
Kumaraswamy questioned the utility of taking the Cabinet to districts instead of conducting meetings at the State capital.
“Instead of spending so much money on taking a huge entourage to the district, that expenditure could have been used somewhere to improve the lives of farmers,” he said.
He asked what tangible outcomes had emerged from previous Cabinet meetings held at district headquarters and questioned whether such exercises had resulted in corresponding benefits for people.
His criticism is directed at the cost and administrative arrangements involved in holding the meeting outside Bengaluru. The Mangaluru meeting was accompanied by a series of announcements concerning infrastructure, tourism, fisheries, healthcare and other sectors in the coastal region.
Kumaraswamy said public expenditure should be assessed in terms of the benefits delivered to citizens and argued that farmers’ welfare should receive greater attention.
Priyank Kharge’s criticism draws response
Kumaraswamy also responded to criticism from Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge.
He asked Kharge to address allegations concerning the recruitment of 24 engineers through the Karnataka Public Service Commission before criticising him.
The recruitment issue concerns 24 Assistant Executive Engineers in the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj department. Kumaraswamy has previously raised allegations of irregularities in the recruitment process. Kharge has denied any role in wrongdoing and said in August that he would leave politics if his direct or indirect involvement in the alleged irregularities was established.
Kumaraswamy said, “Let time decide who is doing the hit-and-run,” in response to the criticism.
The exchange is part of a continuing political dispute between Kumaraswamy and Kharge over the recruitment issue as well as the State Government’s policies.
‘Will not support CM merely because he is Vokkaliga’
Kumaraswamy also addressed comments about Chief Minister D K Shivakumar’s community background and the question of political support based on caste identity.
He claimed that several people had approached him and asked him not to criticise the State Government because a Vokkaliga was occupying the Chief Minister’s post.
Kumaraswamy said he would not support a Chief Minister merely because both belonged to the same community. He argued that the Chief Minister’s responsibilities extended to the entire population of Karnataka.
“Anyone who becomes chief minister of this state cannot work for just one caste. It is the duty of the CM to protect all six-and-a-half crore people of the state,” he said.
He also questioned whether having a Chief Minister from a particular community would automatically improve the economic circumstances of all members of that community.
The comments come amid public discussion over the political significance of Vokkaliga leaders in Karnataka. Both Shivakumar and Kumaraswamy belong to the Vokkaliga community, which has a significant political presence, particularly in parts of southern Karnataka.
Remarks on Deve Gowda’s political legacy
Kumaraswamy was also asked about former minister and Congress MLA K N Rajanna’s recent statement that Vokkaligas do not vote merely by looking at Shivakumar and that the community continues to consider the political legacy of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda.
Kumaraswamy said the statement was not an exaggeration and attributed the continued support for Deve Gowda to his long political career and the political legacy associated with him.
Kumaraswamy is the son of Deve Gowda, who served as Prime Minister of India and remains an influential figure in Karnataka politics. Reports on Kumaraswamy’s remarks said he referred to the community’s support for his father over several decades.
At the same time, Kumaraswamy said political support should be based on governance and performance rather than caste identity. He maintained that a Chief Minister has a responsibility towards all sections of Karnataka’s population.
Mangaluru Cabinet meeting becomes political flashpoint
The criticism of the Mangaluru Cabinet meeting comes as the State Government seeks to highlight the decisions taken during the special session as part of its coastal development agenda.
The Cabinet approved a number of initiatives relating to the coastal districts, including measures concerning tourism, fisheries, infrastructure and the recognition of Tulu as an additional official language in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi. The government has put the overall package announced at the meeting at Rs 32,611 crore.
Home Minister Priyank Kharge has defended the Mangaluru Cabinet meeting and criticised the Opposition’s response. He said the government was focusing on areas such as data centres, water transport, tourism, marine biotechnology and information technology in the coastal region.
The competing statements have therefore placed the focus on two different aspects of the Mangaluru meeting: the Opposition’s questions over the cost and effectiveness of taking the Cabinet outside Bengaluru, and the government’s emphasis on the projects and policy decisions announced for the coastal region.
Kumaraswamy’s latest remarks add another political dimension to the debate, with his comments covering government expenditure, farmer welfare, recruitment allegations and the role of caste identity in political support.