Bengaluru: JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda on Sunday strongly defended his son and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy against corruption allegations, calling them “baseless” and part of a deliberate smear campaign.
Speaking at the launch of the statewide JDS tour and ‘missed call’ membership campaign here, the former Prime Ministe said, “Some individuals are systematically spreading false narratives against Kumaraswamy. No one has ever succeeded in these smear campaigns, and no one will.”
“Some people simply cannot tolerate Kumaraswamy. They cannot digest his personality and the love he commands from people. No one else in the country has waived farmers’ loans like he did.”
Responding to the remarks that the JD(S) will collapse after him, the veteran leader said, “Never forget, failure lays the foundation for success. Just because we lost (the election), it doesn’t mean we’ll lose heart. The only trouble I have at this age is with my legs, not with my mind. I haven’t lost my memory, and I won’t. Let those who think otherwise hear it clearly.”
Asserting that defeat cannot deter him and there was no question of despair, he exuded confidence that the JD(S) will rise again.
“Morarji Desai handed over this party to me. No matter how much Janata Dal splits, this party has survived and will survive even after I am gone…”
Rejecting accusations that JD(S) is a family-run party, he said, “This is not a family party. It is a party of its workers. Many great leaders have held office through this party, and many are still serving. Some have held positions and left, but the party has endured. Between two national parties, JDS has remained a strong regional force.”
Gowda also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him a “towering leader” and a “global figure”.
“We aligned with BJP because of him (Modi). We joined hands with the Prime Minister. We earned his trust. I did not request him to make Kumaraswamy a minister. It was Modi himself who included him in the Cabinet and gave him key portfolios,” the former Prime Minister said.
