In a major political twist, Karnataka CM and Congress leader Siddaramaiah will be prosecuted over the alleged irregularities in site allocations by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA).
CM Siddaramaiah strongly criticised the Governor’s decision to grant permission to prosecute him in connection with the MUDA land scam case. He said that Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot’s move was “totally unconstitutional” and politically motivated. “The decision taken by the Governor is totally unconstitutional. He has no authority. I will fight it out legally in a court of law because it is an illegal sanction given by the Governor,” Siddaramaiah said.
Alleges conspiracy
He dismissed any notion of resignation. He said that his party, including MLAs, cabinet ministers, and leaders, stands firmly with him. “The Governor is being used as a political pawn by the Centre. This is a clear political conspiracy, and I will not resign,” Siddaramaiah said
Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot has granted sanction for prosecution based on petitions submitted by two Bengaluru-based social activists Pradeep Kumar SP and TJ Abraham, and Mysuru-based Snehamayi Krishna.
“As directed by the Governor, I am enclosing herewith the copy of the decision of the Competent Authority on the request of sanction for prosecution against the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, under Section 17 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and Section 218 of the Bharatiya Nagarika Suraksha Samhitha, 2023 for the commission of the alleged offences mention in the petitions,” said a letter from the Governor’s Secretariat to the activists.
In response to the Karnataka Governor granting permission to prosecute CM Siddaramaiah in the alleged MUDA scam, Deputy CM DK Shivakumar declared strong support for Siddaramaiah, stating, “The party, the high command and the entire State and Cabinet stand with him. We will fight it legally and politically... This notice and sanction are against the law.” Shivakumar termed the move a “clear conspiracy” against Siddaramaiah, who is serving his second term as Chief Minister, and vowed to challenge it on all fronts.
What is ‘MUDA scam’?
Allegations have surfaced that Siddaramaiah’s wife, Parvathi, received compensatory sites in a prestigious area of Mysuru with higher property values, compared to the location of her land originally acquired by MUDA.
Under scrutiny is MUDA’s allocation of plots to Parvathi as part of a 50:50 ratio scheme, in exchange for 3.16 acres of her land, where MUDA subsequently developed a residential layout. This scheme has sparked controversy for its allocation of 50 per cent of developed land to individuals losing property in exchange for undeveloped land acquired for layout formation.