Bengaluru: Former Minister and Karkala MLA V. Sunil Kumar has alleged that the state government’s attempts to acquire farmers’ lands under the pretext of Waqf property encroachments are not accidental but part of a “systematic conspiracy.”

Sunil Kumar pointed to a directive by former Commissioner Shalini Rajneesh, who had written to the Revenue Department’s Chief Secretary in April, instructing the acquisition of 21,767 acres of Waqf land. The Revenue and Waqf Departments had held a joint meeting on the matter. “Would officials dare make such decisions without the instructions of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah?” Kumar questioned.

Reacting to the situation, he criticized Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, saying, “Instead of blaming the BJP for unnecessary political interference, clarify whether Shalini Rajneesh and Rajendra Kumar Kataria wrote these letters. This will expose your government’s hidden agenda.”

Demand for the Removal of Minister Thimmapur

Sunil Kumar also called for the resignation of Excise Minister R.B. Thimmapur, referring to him as the “Monthly Collector” due to alleged corruption. He claimed that the ongoing transfer racket, which reportedly began under the state’s current government, has now reached Thimmapur. According to the Wine Merchants’ Association, Thimmapur collects an annual sum of up to Rs 500 crore from transfers, licenses, and monthly collections from licensees, he said.

Mocking the government’s situation, he remarked, “The list of scandals in this government has hit a new peak. Mr. Siddaramaiah, will you remove the ‘Monthly Collector’ Thimmapur from the cabinet, or will you ask him to share his collections to offset the state’s revenue shortfall?”