A high-voltage war of words has begun between mining baron G. Janardhana Reddy and Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy soon after Mr. Reddy was released on bail on Wednesday night. After his release, Mr. Reddy called the Chief Minister ‘a cobra’ who was trying to take revenge on him after 12 years. Mr. Kumaraswamy hit back on Thursday by stating that “thieves cannot be forgiven.”
Addressing presspersons here on Thursday, Mr. Kumaraswamy, who initially declined to respond to Mr. Reddy’s remarks, later said that he had never resorted to revenge against political rivals.
“I don’t want to stoop to his level and respond to his remarks. I have never resorted to settling scores against my rivals. I didn’t take revenge against him [Mr. Reddy] even when I was the Chief Minister then... If a thief confesses to his crime when he is caught and expresses his readiness to give back the stolen things seeking forgiveness, can he be absolved of all his past offences? They [Mr. Reddy and others accused in the Ambidant money laundering case] submitted an affidavit in Court admitting to having cheated [the investors]. They have also expressed their readiness to return ₹18 crore to the investors within 10 days and they cannot be forgiven for that,” he said.