Priyank Kharge Hits Back at HD Kumaraswamy Over KPSC Irregularities, Questions 2011 Recruitment Recommendations
Bengaluru: Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge hit back at Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy over his allegations concerning irregularities in the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC), accusing him of avoiding logical answers to allegations against him and raising questions over recommendations made in connection with the 2011 Gazetted Probationers recruitment.
Addressing Kumaraswamy, Kharge said the Union Minister should refrain from making statements that diminished the weight of his position and alleged that he had held a press conference to evade questions instead of providing logical answers to allegations concerning KPSC.
Kharge said the High Court and Supreme Court had cancelled the selection of candidates for the 2011 Gazetted Probationers posts after finding widespread irregularities and that the state government’s appeal had also been dismissed. Despite this, he alleged, former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda and Kumaraswamy had written recommendation letters to the then chief minister seeking appointment of those candidates.
Kharge questioned what interest Kumaraswamy had in making such recommendations and why Kumaraswamy and Deve Gowda had recommended the candidates when the High Court had found irregularities in the selection process.
He further alleged that an officer related to Kumaraswamy had continued in service and received promotion to the IAS after obtaining a stay from the Central Administrative Tribunal despite the appointment having been cancelled, and questioned why Kumaraswamy was not speaking about the issue.
Kharge also referred to Kumaraswamy’s visit to Parappana Agrahara prison to meet a former KPSC chairman who had been jailed in connection with alleged irregularities. He questioned the purpose of the meeting and alleged that scrutiny of past KPSC irregularities would reveal links to Kumaraswamy.
Responding to Kumaraswamy’s criticism of recruitment in the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department, Kharge questioned whether it was not contradictory for someone who had recommended appointments despite a High Court order to now question RDPR recruitment.
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