NEW DELHI: Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday blamed the BJP and the JD(S) for hatching a conspiracy to dislodge the Congress government in the state after the high court dismissed his petition challenging governor’s approval for probe in the MUDA site allotment case.
Blaming the BJP-led NDA and its ally JD(S) for “creating trouble for him”, Siddaramaiah said: “Our judicial struggle against this ‘revenge politics’ of BJP and the JD(S) will continue.I have faith in the judiciary.”
“I will not hesitate from facing investigation. I will consult experts whether such a probe is allowed under law or not,” the chief minister added.
Addressing a press conference, CM Siddaramaiah said that the Bharatiya Janata Party and Janata Dal (Secular) will not succeed in destabilising the Congress government.
“They might have succeeded in the past, but not this time. It is not a prosecution. I will discuss with legal experts & ministers how to fight this, and take a further call. We will not be scared of BJP and JD(S) conspiracy, as well as that of the Governor’s office. People have blessed us. I have their blessing. I also have the high command and party leaders backing me,” he said.
He asserted that the people of the state are with him in this political struggle.
“I believe in law and constitution. Truth will finally win in this fight. This is a fight against the revenge politics of Narendra Modi-led BJP government. Our judicial struggle against this revenge politics of BJP and JDS will continue. I have faith in the court,” CM Siddaramaiah said.
In response to a question on opposition parties seeking his resignation, Siddaramaiah said: “Why should I resign? Has (H D) Kumaraswamy (Union Minister) resigned? He is on bail, ask him….it is only said that inquiry needs to be done. At the inquiry stage itself resignation is sought? I will answer them…we will face them politically because it is a conspiracy.”
What is Muda case?
It has been alleged that compensatory sites were allotted to Siddaramaiah’s wife B M Parvathi by MUDA in an upmarket area in Mysuru, which had higher property value as compared to the location of her original land which had been “acquired” by the MUDA. Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot had on August 16 accorded sanction under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and Section 218 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023 for the commission of the alleged offences as mentioned in the petitions submitted to him.
Social activists Pradeep Kumar SP, T.J. Abraham and Snehamayi Krishna had filed petitions against Siddaramaiah in connection with the alleged MUDA land scam. They had claimed that Siddaramaiah had misused his office to create fraudulent documents over 3.17 acres of land near Mysuru city and got 14 sites allotted from the MUDA in the name of his wife.
On August 19, Siddaramaiah moved the high court challenging the legality of the governor’s order.
After completing the hearings on the petition in six sittings from August 19, the single judge bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna on September 12 reserved its verdict. In its order today, the judge upheld the governor’s decision and said “The facts narrated in the petition would undoubtedly require investigation, in the teeth of the fact that the beneficiary of all these acts is not anybody outside but the family of the petitioner. The petition stands dismissed.”
The order further stated, “The complaints were justified in registering the complaint or seeking approval at the hands of the Governor.”
‘Not the end of the road’
Congress national spokesperson Shama Mohamed said chief minister Siddaramaiah will explore other possibilities after the high court setback in MUDA land case. Shama also attacked the BJP and JD(S) and said that when MUDA distributed lands, many leaders from the two parties had also got it.
“When this land was distributed, many leaders from the JD(S) and BJP got it. It happened during the BJP’s rule in Karnataka. There was a judgement today, but the CM of Karnataka will explore other possibilities. It is not the end of the road. BJP saying ‘Satyameva Jayate’–I want to laugh at it. We know who a convicted CM was, and that was B. S. Yediyurappa, convicted for corruption. What did he do? He left the party, but they called him back. Who is the president of the BJP in Karnataka, his son? They just have to keep quiet, we will take care of our problems,” she said.
‘We have “unshakable” documentary evidence against CM’
The complainants in the case hailed the court verdict dismissing Siddaramaiah’s petition.
“We had petitioned in the High Court seeking the dismissal of Siddaramaiah’s plea. Whatever objections we had filed, the order has come accordingly, which is a matter of pleasure for us,” Abraham told reporters soon after a single judge bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna dismissed Siddaramaiah’s petition.
When told that the Chief Minister may challenge the order in the division bench, Abraham said: “Let him challenge in the division bench. He will use his legal rights. Since he is moving the (High Court’s) division bench, we are filing a caveat there.”
Krishna said: “We had brought to the notice of the High Court that Siddaramaiah’s role is there in the irregularities. Accordingly, the Honourable Court gave its order.”
Krishna claimed that there was “unshakable” documentary evidence available against the chief minister. “He will lose whichever court he goes to.”
(With inputs from agencies)
Blaming the BJP-led NDA and its ally JD(S) for “creating trouble for him”, Siddaramaiah said: “Our judicial struggle against this ‘revenge politics’ of BJP and the JD(S) will continue.I have faith in the judiciary.”
“I will not hesitate from facing investigation. I will consult experts whether such a probe is allowed under law or not,” the chief minister added.
Addressing a press conference, CM Siddaramaiah said that the Bharatiya Janata Party and Janata Dal (Secular) will not succeed in destabilising the Congress government.
“They might have succeeded in the past, but not this time. It is not a prosecution. I will discuss with legal experts & ministers how to fight this, and take a further call. We will not be scared of BJP and JD(S) conspiracy, as well as that of the Governor’s office. People have blessed us. I have their blessing. I also have the high command and party leaders backing me,” he said.
He asserted that the people of the state are with him in this political struggle.
“I believe in law and constitution. Truth will finally win in this fight. This is a fight against the revenge politics of Narendra Modi-led BJP government. Our judicial struggle against this revenge politics of BJP and JDS will continue. I have faith in the court,” CM Siddaramaiah said.
In response to a question on opposition parties seeking his resignation, Siddaramaiah said: “Why should I resign? Has (H D) Kumaraswamy (Union Minister) resigned? He is on bail, ask him….it is only said that inquiry needs to be done. At the inquiry stage itself resignation is sought? I will answer them…we will face them politically because it is a conspiracy.”
What is Muda case?
It has been alleged that compensatory sites were allotted to Siddaramaiah’s wife B M Parvathi by MUDA in an upmarket area in Mysuru, which had higher property value as compared to the location of her original land which had been “acquired” by the MUDA. Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot had on August 16 accorded sanction under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and Section 218 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023 for the commission of the alleged offences as mentioned in the petitions submitted to him.
Social activists Pradeep Kumar SP, T.J. Abraham and Snehamayi Krishna had filed petitions against Siddaramaiah in connection with the alleged MUDA land scam. They had claimed that Siddaramaiah had misused his office to create fraudulent documents over 3.17 acres of land near Mysuru city and got 14 sites allotted from the MUDA in the name of his wife.
On August 19, Siddaramaiah moved the high court challenging the legality of the governor’s order.
After completing the hearings on the petition in six sittings from August 19, the single judge bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna on September 12 reserved its verdict. In its order today, the judge upheld the governor’s decision and said “The facts narrated in the petition would undoubtedly require investigation, in the teeth of the fact that the beneficiary of all these acts is not anybody outside but the family of the petitioner. The petition stands dismissed.”
The order further stated, “The complaints were justified in registering the complaint or seeking approval at the hands of the Governor.”
‘Not the end of the road’
Congress national spokesperson Shama Mohamed said chief minister Siddaramaiah will explore other possibilities after the high court setback in MUDA land case. Shama also attacked the BJP and JD(S) and said that when MUDA distributed lands, many leaders from the two parties had also got it.
“When this land was distributed, many leaders from the JD(S) and BJP got it. It happened during the BJP’s rule in Karnataka. There was a judgement today, but the CM of Karnataka will explore other possibilities. It is not the end of the road. BJP saying ‘Satyameva Jayate’–I want to laugh at it. We know who a convicted CM was, and that was B. S. Yediyurappa, convicted for corruption. What did he do? He left the party, but they called him back. Who is the president of the BJP in Karnataka, his son? They just have to keep quiet, we will take care of our problems,” she said.
‘We have “unshakable” documentary evidence against CM’
The complainants in the case hailed the court verdict dismissing Siddaramaiah’s petition.
“We had petitioned in the High Court seeking the dismissal of Siddaramaiah’s plea. Whatever objections we had filed, the order has come accordingly, which is a matter of pleasure for us,” Abraham told reporters soon after a single judge bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna dismissed Siddaramaiah’s petition.
When told that the Chief Minister may challenge the order in the division bench, Abraham said: “Let him challenge in the division bench. He will use his legal rights. Since he is moving the (High Court’s) division bench, we are filing a caveat there.”
Krishna said: “We had brought to the notice of the High Court that Siddaramaiah’s role is there in the irregularities. Accordingly, the Honourable Court gave its order.”
Krishna claimed that there was “unshakable” documentary evidence available against the chief minister. “He will lose whichever court he goes to.”
(With inputs from agencies)
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