Karnataka

Ananth Kumar defends role in HUDCO affairs

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE, FEB. 21. The former Union Minister for Urban Development and State unit President of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), H.N. Ananth Kumar, has defended his role in the affairs of the Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO).

Speaking to The Hindu today, Mr. Kumar said that the President of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), B. Janardhana Poojary, in an affidavit filed before the City Civil Court, noted that he had not accused Mr. Kumar of having "misappropriated thousands of crores of rupees".

Mr. Kumar made available to The Hindu the affidavit filed by Mr. Poojary in a defamation case filed by the former. However, Mr. Poojary mentions in the affidavit that he said that Mr. Kumar was allegedly involved in a financial scandal more serious than the stamp paper scam, and he should be arrested. The defamation case is pending in the court.

Mr. Kumar described the allegations made by the Congress as "baseless", and said that it was a campaign against the BJP. The Congress, which did not have any other issue against the BJP, had launched a disinformation campaign, according to Mr. Kumar. Mr. Kumar said the Public Interest Litigation was pending admission in the Supreme Court and Mr. Poojary could not seek his arrest.

Mr. Kumar said that if there was a financial scam, the institution of HUDCO would have collapsed.

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