HDK launches not-so-NICE Rahul Gandhi-style attack on DKS; says more to come

The political face-off between Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and Union minister HD Kumaraswamy has now entered a new phase, with documents and files becoming the latest weapons in their long-running battle.

Taking a leaf out of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s book, JD(S)’s Kumaraswamy, who has repeatedly attacked Shivakumar over the NICE (Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor) project, on Tuesday (September 29) presented a large volume of documents before journalists in Bengaluru and levelled a series of allegations against the Congress chief minister, his family, and the project promoters.

Rahul, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, has often used presentations and documents to make political arguments. Kumaraswamy said he was presenting documentary material to substantiate his allegations rather than merely making verbal accusations. He said the documents released on Tuesday were only the first part and warned that more material would be released in parts 2 and 3.

Original agreement and subsequent changes

Kumaraswamy claimed the original project agreement was signed in 1995 when JD(S) patriarch HD Deve Gowda was chief minister. However, he stressed that the agreement was not originally signed with the present Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises (NICE) company but with a consortium involving VHB, Kalyani Group, and SA Engineering.

Also read: Balancing Siddaramaiah, battling HDK: DK Shivakumar’s first 100 days as Karnataka CM

According to Kumaraswamy, the consortium subsequently exited and NICE entered the project. He argued that the project underwent substantial changes thereafter. He referred to the 1997 Framework Agreement, under which 20,193 acres had been earmarked for the project, and said the Cabinet had approved five townships rather than seven.

“Just because Deve Gowda signed the original agreement, can he be held responsible for irregularities that took place years later?” Kumaraswamy remarked. He also questioned how changes to a Cabinet-approved framework agreement could be made without taking the matter back to the Cabinet.

2,747 additional acres

Kumaraswamy’s principal allegation concerned alleged changes made to the land allocation for the project during Shivakumar’s tenure as urban development minister and chairman of BMICPA (Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor Project Authority).

He claimed that a committee was constituted in 2003 under Shivakumar and alleged that the original framework agreement was subsequently altered. According to Kumaraswamy, the original agreement provided 6,999 acres for the road component, which was increased to 9,468.86 acres in the revised plan — an increase of about 2,747 acres.

He referred to Shivakumar as the “tailor” and NICE promoter Ashok Kheny as the “assistant tailor”, alleging that the two were responsible for changing the original arrangement. Kumaraswamy said the changes resulted in farmers’ land and other properties being brought into the project and demanded that Shivakumar explain the increase in the land requirement.

Allegations involving DK Suresh

Kumaraswamy also levelled allegations concerning land transactions involving members of Shivakumar’s family.

He claimed that, according to documents in his possession, around 200 acres of land connected to the NICE project had been acquired by members of the Shivakumar family.

Also read: Kumaraswamy accuses Congress govt of manipulating Karnataka SIR, seeks EC action

He specifically alleged that on December 3, 2004, Shivakumar’s brother DK Suresh purchased around 10 acres of land for which the KIADB had issued an acquisition notification.

Kumaraswamy further alleged that government land acquired for the project was subsequently involved in an agreement with a private developer. He also alleged that NICE had issued no-objection certificates to around 420 people for the sale of land.

Gomala land and Siddaganga Matha property

Kumaraswamy also alleged that more than 300 acres of gomala land—government-owned common pasture and grazing land—near BK Kaval were involved in what he described as “irregular transactions”. He challenged the government to conduct a drone survey of the area.

He further raised allegations concerning land belonging to Siddaganga Matha and referred to a purported arrangement involving 1,040 units and land valued at around Rs 2,000 crore.

According to Kumaraswamy, Suresh had submitted an application in the matter and Shivakumar, who was a minister at the time, had used his official position to facilitate the approval.

‘Bigger than 2G and coal scams’

Kumaraswamy described the alleged irregularities in the NICE project as larger than the 2G and coal scams. He referred to the 2002 tripartite agreement involving NICE, NHAI and the Karnataka government and alleged that changes in the project framework benefited private interests.

Also read: Bidadi land row: HD Kumaraswamy backs protesting farmers, promises legal aid

He also recalled that when he was chief minister in 2007, his Cabinet had resolved that no additional land beyond the original 20,193 acres should be given to the project and that the land should not be sold.

Kheny’s audio and Vidhana Soudha reference

Kumaraswamy also played an audio recording purportedly involving NICE promoter Ashok Kheny. According to Kumaraswamy, Kheny referred to the financial burden created by the government’s guarantee schemes and suggested that a situation could arise where government properties such as Vidhana Soudha and Vikasa Soudha could be “written over”.

Kumaraswamy questioned the statement and asked what political influence had enabled the project promoter to make such claims.

He also questioned the need for extending the NICE road towards Mysuru when a national highway already connects Bengaluru and Mysuru, alleging that the extension was primarily connected to land acquisition.

Wealth allegation against DKS

Kumaraswamy also referred to the increase in Shivakumar’s declared assets and sarcastically called him “Superman”, citing an increase from around Rs 4 crore to Rs 1,413 crore.

He alleged that the NICE project had witnessed irregularities running into “more than Rs 3 lakh crore” and claimed that land grabbing was continuing. However, the material he presented at the press conference could not establish this figure.

Also read: Shivakumar vs Kumaraswamy: Vokkaliga rivalry reshapes Karnataka politics

He also urged the government to take action against those responsible for alleged irregularities, saying he would felicitate the government if it acted against them.

Parts 2 and 3 to follow

Kumaraswamy challenged Shivakumar to an open debate on the NICE issue on the steps of Vidhana Soudha. “If you do not have the courage to act against the NICE company, resign and go home,” he claimed.

He also called upon motorists not to pay the NICE toll, while urging the government to take action on what he described as the “exploitation of public resources”.

Kumaraswamy said the documents released on Tuesday represented only the first instalment. He announced that he would release further documents concerning the NICE project in the coming days and again challenged the chief minister to an open discussion on the issue at Vidhana Soudha.

Praise for Siddaramaiah

Interestingly, Kumaraswamy struck a different note when he spoke about former chief minister Siddaramaiah’s role in the NICE issue. Referring to a report of a House committee on NICE that was submitted to the Supreme Court in 2018, he said Siddaramaiah deserved credit for the position he took on the issue.

Kumaraswamy’s remarks are significant because Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar are both prominent figures in Karnataka Congress politics. Kumaraswamy also raised questions about the construction of a mall on government land at Binnimill and asked what had emerged during Income-Tax Department raids, linking these issues to his wider allegations concerning land and financial transactions.

Kumaraswamy said the original NICE arrangement envisaged the company building the road with its own funds and stipulated that there should be no encroachment on lakes. He alleged that subsequent changes to the framework under the committee headed by Shivakumar altered those conditions.

The responses of Shivakumar, Suresh, NICE and other individuals named in the allegations will be significant, as Kumaraswamy has promised to release further documents.