• durgesh dubey
• 07 Aug, 2024

Chief Minister

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has submitted additional information to Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot's office concerning the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land allotment case involving his wife, Parvathi. Siddaramaiah maintains that the allegations do not justify prosecution, referencing past court rulings to bolster his argument.

Acting on the advice of a senior advocate from New Delhi, who is also a senior Congress member, Siddaramaiah provided these documents to Raj Bhavan. An official from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) clarified that it was "additional information" rather than new documents, as requested by the Governor.

The documents aim to show that the accusations against Siddaramaiah lack sufficient grounds for prosecution. This comes after the Governor issued a showcause notice regarding the alleged MUDA land allotment scam, which the Karnataka government responded to by passing a resolution advising Gehlot to withdraw the notice.

Simultaneously, another petition has been filed seeking permission to prosecute Siddaramaiah for recommending the denotification of 1.4 acres in Uttanahalli village, Mysuru, in 2008. Social activist and journalist Snehamayi Krishna alleged that Siddaramaiah, then an MLA, recommended the denotification without verifying the petitioner's ownership of the land.

Despite Congress' strong backing of Siddaramaiah, internal lobbying for the chief minister's post continues. Congress national general secretary KC Venugopal, after meeting Siddaramaiah, asserted that the party would not succumb to BJP-JD(S) conspiracies and there would be no change in leadership. The Congress has launched the Janandolan campaign to counter BJP-JD(S) protests.

Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress president DK Shivakumar, along with other senior leaders, are actively participating in the campaign. While Shivakumar is seen as a potential successor, other contenders such as Home Minister G Parameshwara and Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi are also seen in the fray. Some have even suggested Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge for the post, although his age may be a disadvantage.

Speaking to ANI in Mandya, Karnataka LoP and BJP leader R Ashoka says, " First time in Karnataka, a CM has taken land that belongs to poor people...it is a big scandal...Siddaramaiah keeps saying that he is clean...MUDA scam is the biggest case in Karnataka history. After 15 months of Karnataka govt, they looted Karnataka...that's why we were doing a padayatra...we have given a memorandum to the Governor...we might also meet the President after taking opinion from our central ministers...all people of Karnataka are fed up...people voluntarily participated in our rally...".