Shivalinge Gowda rejects bribery allegations, demands apology

CH NEWS, Hassan Karnataka Excise Minister and Hassan District In-charge Minister K. M. Shivalinge Gowda has strongly denied allegations that Deputy Commissioner K. S. Latha Kumari paid him a bribe to avoid being transferred. He challenged former Chief Minister H. D. Kumaraswamy to provide evidence to support the allegations or withdraw them and issue a public apology. In a media statement, Shivalinge Gowda said serious allegations against public representatives must be supported by evidence. He questioned the authenticity of the WhatsApp conversations presented to support the claims and said mentioning someone's name in a conversation did not establish that money had changed hands. He urged Kumaraswamy to submit any available evidence to the appropriate investigating agency so that the truth could emerge. He also rejected what he described as baseless allegations against himself and the Deputy Commissioner. Referring to the ongoing Hassanamba Jatra Mahotsava, the minister said religious celebrations should not be used for political attacks. He stated that he would not allow even a single rupee to be misappropriated in the festival arrangements and offered to provide a detailed account supported by evidence. The minister said he had been staying in Hassan for the past 20 days, working alongside the local MP to oversee preparations for the annual festival. He added that his priority was to ensure proper arrangements and facilities for devotees. Shivalinge Gowda said he was willing to respond to any genuine questions about administrative lapses if they were supported by evidence. However, he maintained that allegations damaging his reputation and that of the Deputy Commissioner were unacceptable. He reiterated his demand that Kumaraswamy either prove the allegations or publicly withdraw them and apologise.