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It is a conspiracy against my family: Deve Gowda

Special Correspondent

"Bribery charge against Chief Minister will be rebutted"

Bangalore: Former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) president H.D. Deve Gowda sees in the bribery charge against his son and Chief Minister, H.D. Kumaraswamy, a conspiracy against him and his family, in particular, and to remove them from the political scene in Karnataka.

In a four-page statement to the press explaining his stand on the bribery allegations, Mr. Gowda did not mince words in attacking the Congress and a section of the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders. It is for the first time that he has come out in open support of the Chief Minister although the bribery allegation surfaced three weeks ago.

Mr. Gowda told The Hindu that it was unfortunate that the Chief Minister had been compelled to put up with difficulties day after day. Rather than wait for their turn to get to the seat of power, some Congress leaders had joined hands with some disgruntled and power-hungry leaders in the Bharatiya Janata Party to stage a coup of sorts, he alleged. "A befitting answer will be provided at the right time, and all those behind such baseless allegations will be exposed," he said. "The present battle is a do or die one and I am confident of victory with the support of the people who have stood by me and my party whenever I am faced with an uphill task," Mr. Gowda said. It was not merely a battle for him or his family, but the Janata Dal (Secular) as a whole, he said.

Mr. Gowda, who announced that he would commence an intensive tour of the State from the second week of August, said the Janata Dal (Secular) would not be cowed down by baseless allegations and would give it back to those working against the party and the Chief Minister.

Some Congress leaders, in association with some of those in the BJP, had conspired to defame the Chief Minister, particularly after the tremendous response he had received from the people following his good performance in the first few months, he said.

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