‘Where Is Gen Z Now?’ HD Kumaraswamy Questions Silence on Alleged KPSC Job Scams
Bengaluru: Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Saturday questioned what he described as Gen Z protesters’ silence over alleged recruitment scams in Karnataka, contrasting their response with protests in New Delhi over an alleged NEET question-paper leak.
Raising allegations concerning the recruitment of Assistant Executive Engineers and veterinarians through the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC), Kumaraswamy asked why those who had protested over NEET were not questioning what he alleged was the sale of government jobs for money in Karnataka.
He was speaking to reporters in Bengaluru on September 26 before a BJP–JD(S) coordination committee meeting on the forthcoming Legislative Council elections from teachers’ and graduates’ constituencies.
NEET Protests Versus KPSC Allegations
Kumaraswamy’s criticism centred on the contrast he drew between the public response to the alleged NEET paper leak and recruitment-related allegations in Karnataka.
He asked where the Gen Z protesters who had raised their voices in New Delhi were now, and why alleged irregularities affecting government jobseekers in Karnataka were not drawing a similar response from them.
In the same remarks, he used the derogatory expression “Cockroach Janata Party” while criticising those he said had protested over NEET but were not speaking out about KPSC.
Kumaraswamy alleged that corruption in recruitment was continuing despite unemployment in the state. He accused the Congress government of filling KPSC with corrupt individuals and failing to curb the alleged cash-for-jobs practices.
His remarks singled out alleged irregularities in Assistant Executive Engineer and veterinary recruitment as issues that, he argued, deserved greater public scrutiny.
Questions Government’s Handling of Recruitment Probe
Kumaraswamy also questioned the state government’s handling of the investigation into alleged KPSC irregularities.
He said the Karnataka High Court had constituted a Special Investigation Team and appointed officers to investigate the matter. However, he alleged that the government was objecting to the officers selected and had transferred one of them.
He accused the government of wanting compliant officers rather than those who would investigate independently. The statement did not identify the transferred officer.
Kumaraswamy linked his criticism of recruitment practices to a broader attack on the administration, alleging that corruption was damaging Karnataka’s reputation nationally and internationally.
He also accused Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar of encouraging protests against the Election Commission while remaining silent about alleged wrongdoing under his own government.
Election Commission Must Explain Differences, Says Kumaraswamy
Turning to the Congress’s protests against the Election Commission, Kumaraswamy questioned the basis for the campaign and said reported differences within the institution should not automatically be portrayed as wrongdoing.
He described the Election Commission as a responsible institution and credited its work with helping sustain democracy in India over the past 78 years.
Kumaraswamy said the Congress was using media reports about differences between the Chief Election Commissioner and the two Election Commissioners to organise protests across the country.
At the same time, he said the Commission should explain the circumstances behind those differences and place the facts before the public.
“The Election Commission itself should tell the people of the country why these differences arose and what the facts are, and protect the institution’s standing,” he said.
Kumaraswamy accused the Congress of repeatedly attacking constitutional institutions and trying to place responsibility for its own failures on them. He also alleged that Rahul Gandhi encouraged such campaigns to divert public attention.
‘Is a Farmer a Beggar?’: ₹2,500 Drought Relief Criticised
The minister separately criticised the ₹2,500 drought relief he said the Karnataka government had announced for farmers.
“Is a farmer a beggar?” Kumaraswamy asked, arguing that the amount failed to reflect the difficulties faced by agricultural households.
He accused the government of failing in drought management and announcing one scheme after another despite what he described as an empty treasury.
Kumaraswamy contrasted the relief amount with his allegation that ₹200 crore had been spent on coffee and tea at the previous Chief Minister’s office. No expenditure records supporting that allegation were included in the statement.
He also questioned Shivakumar’s description of himself as a farmer’s son, asking what work he had done for farmers and criticising the government’s approach to relief.
Objects to Remarks About Legislators’ Marriages
Kumaraswamy also criticised remarks attributed to Shivakumar that some legislators had married twice.
He questioned whether a person holding the Chief Minister’s office should make such statements in the legislature and said Congress legislators themselves should have protested.
His comments were directed at the reported Assembly remarks; the supplied statement did not provide the full exchange in which they were made.
Concern Over KRIDL Engineer’s Disappearance
Asked about the reported disappearance of an Assistant Executive Engineer working with KRIDL, Kumaraswamy expressed concern and warned that similar incidents could recur.
The statement did not identify the engineer or provide details of the circumstances surrounding the disappearance.
Kumaraswamy’s remarks placed alleged recruitment corruption and the response of young protesters at the centre of his criticism, alongside separate attacks on the government’s drought relief measures and the Congress’s campaign against the Election Commission. The allegations were made during his media interaction; responses from the government and the other parties criticised were not included in the statement.
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