BENGALURU: In an embarrassment to Karnataka's Congress government, Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah's son Yathindra found himself in a controversy on Thursday after a video where he was seen issuing certain instructions on the phone to an officer in the chief minister's office (CMO) went viral.Hurling cash-for-transfer allegations, former chief minister and JD(S) chief HD Kumaraswamy alleged that the conversation was related to the "transfer of officials'' and demanded Siddaramaiah's resignation.Siddaramaiah stoutly denied the allegations and offered to retire from politics if it was proved that he had made money transferring officials.In the 49-second clip (TOI couldn't independently verify its authenticity), Yathindra, a former Congress MLA, is seen saying at a public event, "Hello, Appa (Father), Vivekananda! To where? No, I didn't give that.
Give it (the phone) to Mahadeva.
I had given only five (names)." Then he speaks to Mahadeva, "Mahadeva, why are you giving other names? Who has given me that? Act upon only 4-5 names I had given."Yathindra did not respond to TOI calls and messages.
Siddaramaiah, through social-media posts, clarified that Vivekananda, whose name is heard in the video, is the Mysuru rural block education officer.
"The list mentioned in the video is a list of five schools under the Varuna constituency limits (in Mysuru) that need repair.
The BEO sent a list to my joint secretary.
We discussed in public repairing these schools under the CSR funds," he claimed.Asked about his son talking of approving only five names, Siddaramaiah asked if names on a list necessarily meant transfers.Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, too, said the conversation was related to school development with corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds.
Yathindra, being a member of the Karnataka Development Programme and chairman of the Ashraya Samiti chairperson, was talking about utilisation of the funds in the schools he had chosen, Shivakumar said.
Ashraya is a housing scheme for the poor.BJP attacked the father-son duo and questioned the "interference" of Yathindra in the administration.
WatchKarnataka CM's son Yathindra Siddaramaiah embroiled in controversy over viral video; JD(S) and BJP target Siddaramaiah