Union minister HD Kumaraswamy accused DK Shivakumar of corruption regarding the NICE Road project.
Shivakumar said, adding his family’s wealth – currently valued at Rs 1,400 crore – is legitimate, built through business and investments. Kumaraswamy alleged Shivakumar, then urban development minister, and NICE chairman Ashok Kheny altered the project’s Framework Agreement in 2004, including additional survey numbers and increasing the saleable area in townships from 45% to 55%. Responding to allegations over his investment in Sobha Developers, Shivakumar said his Rs 5 crore investment had appreciated and that all his assets have been declared. He cited a site purchased for Rs 99,000 during S Bangarappa’s tenure in 1990s that he said is now worth about Rs 20 crore, some 35-plus years later.
BENGALURU: Hours after Union minister HD Kumaraswamy alleged DK Shivakumar ‘s wealth rose from Rs 4 crore to Rs 1,444 crore in a decade through the controversial NICE Road project, the Karnataka CM Tuesday night rejected corruption allegations as “a bundle of lies”. Citing a Karnataka high court order, Kumaraswamy termed the project “a fraud on the Constitution” and accused state authorities of being “accomplices”. I’ve every right to do business and my children have the capacity to do more business,” he said. You did not cancel the agreement with NICE then,” he said.
“I’m rich, I admit it. Should a son of a farmer who has his own business not build assets? “If possible, we’ll buy more. What’s wrong (in that)? Let them give documents to the income-tax department. The key objective was to build Bengaluru-Mysuru Infrastructure Corridor. He demanded Shivakumar’s resignation, seizure of his and Kheny’s passports and a probe, and urged commuters not to pay toll on the road. “Have I taken bribes or has there been a scandal in which I’ve been caught? Bengaluru development minister Krishna Byre Gowda defended Shivakumar, asking Kumaraswamy to approach the Centre to cancel the agreement if he believed it was illegal. “You, too, had power when you were chief minister.
