Money from drug mafia used to topple coalition govt in K'taka: HD Kumaraswamy

Responding to an ongoing investigation into the alleged nexus between the drug mafia and the Kannada film industry, the former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Monday said that money from "drug mafia, betting and dance bars" was used to topple his government in the state.

Responding to an ongoing investigation into the alleged nexus between the drug mafia and the Kannada film industry, the former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Monday said that money from "drug mafia, betting and dance bars" was used to topple his government in the state. "When I was Chief Minister, some had fled to Sri Lanka due to the fear of our government's action against drug mafia. The drug mafia is responsible for the destabilisation of the coalition government. The money of drug mafia and cricket betting was used to topple the coalition government," Kumaraswamy said in a press conference in Turuvekere here.

He said that money from drug mafia, dance bars, cricket betting and pubs was used to bring down the previous JD(S) led coalition government in the state. "Small, young children should not fall victim to such evil mafias," Kumaraswamy said urging the state government to take strict action against anyone who has been involved in the scam.

The development comes after the issue of consumption of drugs in the Kannada film industry came to light after glaring remarks of Kannada filmmaker Indrajit Lankesh. Lankesh had earlier claimed that some budding actors consume banned substances. He had raised these points, during the course of many interviews given to the media, after the death of a young Kannada actor named Chiranjeevi Sarja. (ANI)