Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel HD Kumaraswamy said on Wednesday, October 30 that Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre has "trespassed" on Public Sector Unit Hindustan Machine Tools (HMT) land. Khandre had accused HMT Limited, a central public sector enterprise, of illegally occupying, leasing out, and selling forest land to private parties and government entities. 

Speaking to the media in Channapatna town, the Union Minister said: "I will provide comprehensive information on everything shortly. Eshwar Khandre has trespassed onto the HMT premises. A legal dispute is ongoing in the court, and we await the verdict. We will fight this battle through legal means, not for publicity," he said.

Khandre lacks information and knowledge as HMT sold the land to Canara Bank in 2002, he claimed.

Khandre had also accused the company of enabling non-forestry activities in forest land in its possession, pointing out that the company had rented out forest land to the makers of Toxic, a film starring actor Yash. He alleged that satellite images showed many trees in the forest had been cut and a huge set had been built on the land where shooting has been going on for months.

“The illegal cutting of hundreds of trees in forest land under the possession of HMT for the filming of the movie Toxic has raised serious concerns. Unauthorised felling of trees in forest land is a punishable offence. Has permission been obtained for this according to the rules? If yes, disciplinary action should be taken against the officer who gave permission and a case should be registered against those involved,” the minister said in the letter.

He added that the film team has built a small village set in the said land. “I am not complaining about the film team. We have to see who had violated the rules. The chopping of trees is illegal and it cannot be permitted,” he stated.

However, Union Minister Kumaraswamy countered, "Large-scale forest land encroachment occurred in multiple areas, including Chikkamagaluru, Kodagu, and Bengaluru districts. The forest minister was showing special concern only for the HMT land."

The Union Minister questioned the forest minister's courage in clearing forest land illegally occupied by a former Speaker in Srinivaspura, Kolar district. 

"The Forest Department and the Kolar Deputy Commissioner sent the notices. Why hasn't this encroachment been cleared, Eshwar Khandre?" Kumaraswamy asked.

"Are you, Khandre, practising one rule for the poor and another for Congress leaders? I know what instructions were given to you by CM Siddaramaiah," he said.

On the ED raids in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) case, Minister Kumaraswamy said many shocking revelations have emerged. He stated that MUDA records have been stolen and disappeared, yet CM Siddaramaiah continues to proclaim 'Satyameva Jayate'.

(With inputs from IANS)