‘Will retire from politics if proved I have taken money in single case of transfer’

Bengaluru: With JD(S) state president H D Kumaraswamy repeatedly attacking him and his son Yathindra, a former Congress MLA, accusing them of a “cash for transfer” racket, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday said he will retire from politics, if proved that he has taken money, even in a single transfer case of government officials.

He alleged such cash for transfer happened during Kumaraswamy’s tenure.

‘I have told you not to ask about it (Kumaraswamy’s allegations). Haven’t I responded to it already? Let him tweet (post on X) a number of times. He is speaking about what they did during his tenure (as Chief Minister),’ Siddaramaiah said in response to a question about Kumaraswamy’s attacks.

Speaking to reporters here, the chief minister said, ‘He (Kumaraswamy) is speaking about the money they (Kumaraswamy and JDS leaders) took for transfers. They took money during his tenure. In our tenure, we have not taken any money. I have already said -- I will retire from politics, if it’s proved that I have taken money in even a single case of transfer.’

‘Let him tweet a hundred times, I don’t want to reply,’ he added.

Kumaraswamy had recently sought to link a phone conversation between Yathindra and Chief Minister

Siddaramaiah, which was widely circulated on social media, to allege a cash for postings/transfer’ scam, a charge which has been rightly rejected by the chief minister and his son.

Continuing his attack, Kumaraswamy has even alleged that an official, whose name was mentioned in a phone conversation between the Chief Minister and his son, had figured in the transfer list of police inspectors released recently.