Kumaraswamy leaves for Singapore amid resentment among Opposition

Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy left for a three-day visit to Singapore yesterday amid resentment among the Opposition Congress.

Kumaraswamy, who is scheduled to visit companies in Singapore at the invitation of its Minister for Trade and Industries Lim Hing Kiang, was criticized by Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President M Mallikarjun Kharge for making the trip at a time when the state legislature session is underway.

“His visit to Singapore at a time when the legislature session is underway is inappropriate and a grave insult to parliamentary democracy”, Kharge told reporters. The Chief Minister did not heed to the advice given by Opposition party leaders during the Business Advisory Committee meeting that he should postpone the visit till the legislature session concludes.

With convention and precedent demanding that the Chief Minister and Minister compulsorily attend the legislature session and should not undertake any tour within or outside the state, the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Krishna should not have allowed Kumaraswamy to proceed on the Singapore tour, Kharge said.

The Chief Minister’s visit to Singapore to attract foreign investment could have waited till the legislature session concludes, Kharge said.

Meanwhile, a statement issued by the Trade and Industries Ministry of Singapore said Kumarawamy’s visit seeks to foster greater business collaboration between Karnataka and Singapore. “Karnataka, in particular its capital Bangalore, is among the top three destinations in India for Singapore investors, who have invested in Information Technology Park, residential township and logistics sector”, the statement said.

Statistics showed that Foreign Direct Investment inflows from Singapore to India grew from 62.1 million dollars in 2004 to 231.4 million dollars during 2005. “This made Singapore the third largest source of FDI inflows into India for the year 2005. The presence of Indian companies in Singapore had also grown to reach over 1,600 companies at present”, the statement added.