Bengaluru:

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah – battling vehement calls to quit over the alleged Mysuru land scam – counterattacked Friday, flagging Janata Dal Secular boss HD Kumaraswamy and asking why his party’s ally, the Bharatiya Janata Party, had not demanded his resignation too.

“Which government does HD Kumaraswamy belong to? There is an FIR… why did he not resign? He is a minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet,” he said Friday afternoon. Mr Kumaraswamy faces a police case over claims he provided “false information” before the Lok Sabha election.

The JDS boss is currently the Union Heavy Industries Minister. He lost no time in hitting back on X, beginning with a “‘uighe, uighe to your sidvilasa” – which translates roughly as mocking praise.

He pointed to attempts by Siddaramaiah’s earlier government to form an Anti-Corruption Bureau by clipping the state Lokayukta’s wings, and contrasted that with him now trying to ensure the Lokayukta, and not the CBI, a federal agency, conducts inquiries against him.

“Isn’t this karma, Mr Siddaramaiah? ACB was also dismissed by the High Court… and now you have sidelined the Lokayukta and closed the door for the CBI to enter the state…” he jeered, referring to a 2022 verdict that said the then state government could not set up an ACB as a Lokayukta is operating.

Mr. @siddaramaiah..
Ughe Ughe to your ‘Sidvilasa’

Then: To escape from scams, you build a ‘samadhi’ for Lokayukta and formed ACB!

Now: The same Lokayukta is a place you found to get rid of ‘Mudahagaran’!!

Isn’t it Karma Mr siddaramaiah?
ACB was also dismissed by the High Court…

— ಹೆಚ್.ಡಿ.ಕುಮಾರಸ್ವಾಮಿ | H.D.Kumaraswamy (@hd_kumaraswamy) September 27, 2024

Siddaramaiah’s jab at HD Kumaraswamy underlines the pressure – from the BJP, the JDS, and even by some within his own party – the Chief Minister faces in his battle to retain his post.

READ | “Request…”: Under-Fire Siddaramaiah Faces ‘Quit’ Calls From Within Party

So far, though, he is defiant. On Thursday, after a special court ordered a police case and directed the Lokayukta to finish inquiries in three months, he declared “I am not afraid”.

“I will fight. I am not afraid of anything. We are ready to face the investigation. I will fight this legally,” he said after a second setback in as many days. On Wednesday the High Court had quashed his challenge to Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot’s sanction to prosecute a sitting Chief Minister.

READ | “Governor’s Action As Per Law”: Big Setback For Siddaramaiah

The Chief Minister on Thursday also hit out at Mr Modi after the Prime Minister’s sharp comments about the Congress government in Karnataka at a rally in poll-bound Haryana.

Prime Minister @narendramodi, in his usual reckless manner, has claimed there is infighting within the Karnataka Congress. It seems the PM has either misread or deliberately twisted the recent media reports, confusing BJP’s internal chaos with Congress. I demand that he…

— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) September 26, 2024

In a lengthy post on X Siddaramaiah told the PM “don’t throw stones while sitting in a glass house”, pointing to what he said was infighting in his party’s state unit.

MUDA Land Scam Case  

Siddaramaiah faces an inquiry into claims his wife, Parvathi, was allotted multiple plots of land in an upmarket Mysuru area as compensation for land elsewhere – an exchange that allegedly cost the state losses of at least Rs 4,000 crore – taken for infrastructure projects.

He has firmly denied the charge; last month he said he had not done anything illegal in a political career of four decades, and expressed confidence the judiciary would absolve him.

READ | “In 40 Years Did Nothing Wrong”: Siddaramaiah Amid Land Scam Row

The Chief Minister, who has been firmly backed by his party; his deputy, DK Shivakumar; and members of his Cabinet, has also, so far, dismissed calls to summon the CBI, insisting the inquiry will be handled by the Mysuru branch of the state Lokayukta.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, his government withdrew general consent for the federal agency in a move many see as a pre-emptive measure in case the High Court orders a CBI probe.

READ | “CBI Biased”: Karnataka Withdraws Permission To Operate In State

The agency now cannot investigate in Karnataka without the state government’s permission.

Law Minister HK Patil refused any link between this move and the land scam allegations facing the Chief Minister, expressing, as many other opposition parties have, “concerns about the misuse of the agency”. “They are biased… that is why are taking this decision,” he said.

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Bengaluru:

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday asserted that he will not resign, following a Special Court here ordering a Lokayukta police probe against him in a site allotment case, as he held consultations with experts to fine-tune strategy to wage a legal battle.

The Lokayukta police, meanwhile, are yet to register an FIR against the CM following the court order in connection with the allotment of 14 sites to his wife B M Parvathi by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA).

Amid the ongoing land allotment row against the CM, and demand by the BJP that the case be handed over to Central Bureau of Investigation, the Karnataka government on Thursday withdrew general consent given to CBI to investigate cases in the State as it alleged that the agency was “biased”.

Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil, briefing reporters on the decisions taken at a meeting of the Cabinet, chaired by the Chief Minister, ruled out any connection between the decision on CBI and the allegations of illegalities in MUDA.

Opposition BJP in Karnataka today staged a protest in front of Mahatma Gandhi statue at Vidhana Soudha, the seat of state legislature and secretariat here, demanding Chief Minister’s resignation, to which Siddaramaiah responded by reiterating that he will not quit as he again denied any wrongdoing in the case.

Terming the charges against him a “BJP conspiracy”, Siddaramaiah said he would wage a legal fight.

A special court here on Wednesday ordered a probe by the Lokayukta police in Mysuru against the Chief Minister in the MUDA site allotment ‘scam’, setting the stage for registering an FIR against him.

Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress President D K Shivakumar also ruled out the possibility of Siddaramaiah stepping down.

“There is no question of resigning, because I have done no wrong. This (charges against him) is a BJP (conspiracy),” Siddaramaiah told reporters here.

Mr Shivakumar said: “I’m saying that the proposal for the Chief Minister to resign won’t come. This is a political conspiracy by BJP and JD(S). They are unable to digest the benefits of our five guarantee schemes reaching people.” The order of the Special Court Judge, Santhosh Gajanan Bhat, came a day after the High Court upheld the sanction granted by the Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to conduct an investigation against Siddaramaiah on the allegations of illegalities in the allotment of 14 sites to his wife B M Parvathi by MUDA.

The Special Court exclusively to deal with criminal cases related to former and elected MPs/MLAs issued the order directing the Lokayukta police in Mysuru to initiate an investigation on the complaint filed by RTI activist Snehamayi Krishna of Mysuru.

The Lokayukta police are seeking ‘legal clarification’ to register an FIR against the Chief Minister, sources said.

“We have not yet registered a case. Some legal clarification is being sought, as the special court has passed the order under the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) while it should have perhaps passed the order following procedure under Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Samhita (BNSS),” a source in the Lokayukta police told PTI.

Meanwhile,a key legal advisor to the CM said consultations are on with senior counsel and experts on filing an appeal in the wake of court orders upholding Governor’s sanction for investigation against Siddaramaiah.

“So, an appeal has to be filed, where and when, and what action should be taken regarding MP/MLA (Special) Court , all these things we are verifying. Discussions are on with advocates and senior counsel. Our advocate in Delhi, who argued in the case (Abhishek Manu Singhvi), we will try to seek his advice, and thereafter in a couple of days, we will make our stand clear,” Congress MLA, senior advocate and the CM’s legal advisor A S Ponnanna said.

The BJP lawmakers and leaders who staged protest under the leadership of Leader of Opposition R Ashoka were later whisked away by the police in a bus, as they marched towards the Vidhana Soudha building, shouting slogans demanding CM’s resignation, allegedly with an intention to lay siege to it.

Speaking to reporters, Ashoka said: “….Siddaramaiah must resign and respectfully cooperate with the investigation. We are not saying the government should go, if not him (Siddaramaiah as CM), someone else. We want a fair probe, and government property should be protected.” In the MUDA site allotment case, it is alleged that compensatory sites were allotted to Siddaramaiah’s wife in an upmarket area in Mysuru, which had higher property value as compared to the location of her land which had been “acquired” by MUDA.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Bengaluru:

“I am not afraid…” Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah declared Wednesday, shortly after a trial court said a police case must be filed against him – based on a complaint by activist Snehamayi Krishna – in connection with the alleged Mysuru Urban Development Authority land scam case.

Earlier today the Special Court of the People’s Representatives had directed the state’s Lokayukta to conduct an inquiry and submit a report in three months. The Chief Minister’s response was swift. “I will fight. I am not afraid of anything. We are ready to face the investigation. I will fight this legally.”

However, the activist whose complaint will feed the case against the Chief Minister is not fully satisfied, and has said he wants the investigation to “happen by the CBI only”. “The court said the probe will happen by Lokayukta but, once FIR is filed… we will approach Karnataka High Court,” he declared. 

The Chief Minister will now face an inquiry into claims his wife, Parvathi, was allotted multiple plots of land in an upmarket Mysuru area as compensation for land elsewhere – an exchange that allegedly cost the state losses of at least Rs 4,000 crore – taken for infrastructure projects.

Siddaramaiah has firmly denied the charge; last month he said he had not done anything illegal in a political career spanning four decades, and expressed confidence the judiciary would absolve him.

This is the second setback to the Congress leader in as many days; on Tuesday the High Court dismissed his challenge to Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot sanctioning his prosecution in the MUDA case. Siddaramaiah argued Mr Gehlot did not “apply his mind”, but the court disagreed, ruling the Governor “did apply his mind in abundance”. “No fault in the Governor’s actions,” the court said.

READ | “Governor’s Action As Per Law”: Big Setback For Siddaramaiah

In passing its order, the High Court also rolled back its August 19 order to the trial court – to not take action against the Chief Minister till his petition claiming Mr Gehlot’s action as “illegal” is settled.

After the order Siddaramaiah underlined his confidence in the judicial system and slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party’s “revenge politics”, stating, “I believe in the law… The truth will finally win.”

The MUDA land scam row has become a major flashpoint, with the BJP and its ally, the Janata Dal Secular, targeting the ruling Congress and demanding Siddaramaiah’s resignation.

On Tuesday, after the High Court’s verdict, the BJP held vociferous protests across the state once again calling on the Chief Minister to quit. The party’s state unit boss, BY Vijayendra, pointed to the court’s ruling and slammed the Congress for saying the allegations are a “political conspiracy”.

READ | “Siddaramaiah Must Quit”: BJP After Chief Minister’s Land Scam Setback

“BJP has been relentlessly fighting against the corrupt Congress government… the High Court has clearly said the decision by the Governor is correct. The Chief Minister should resign immediately…”

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi called the verdict a “slap on the Congress government and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah”. “The Karnataka High Court has answered all questions that were raised (and now) Siddaramaiah should resign, so an impartial investigation can be conducted by the CBI…”

Ramping up pressure on Siddaramaiah, BJP workers tried to gherao Siddaramaiah’s Bengaluru residence, prompting police – who had been placed on high alert – to take dozens into custody.

The BJP-Congress face-off over the MUDA scam allegations also comes as the two parties go head-to-head in next week’s Haryana Assembly election and the ongoing election in Jammu and Kashmir.

It also drew sharp barbs from Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a rally in Haryana’s Sonipat this afternoon; Mr Modi referred to the Congress’ Karnataka government and criticised Siddaramaiah.

The Congress, meanwhile, has come out swinging in support of Siddaramaiah. The party has claimed a “conspiracy” against its Chief Minister, pointing to corruption allegations that have landed other opposition leaders – including Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal – in jail.

#WATCH | Bengaluru: Karnataka HC dismisses petition by CM Siddaramaiah challenging Governor’s sanction for his prosecution in alleged MUDA scam.

Deputy CM DK Shivakumar says, “I am telling you again, there is no setback to the CM. It is a big conspiracy on all our leaders,… pic.twitter.com/VpLcSWUDyi

— ANI (@ANI) September 24, 2024

Immediately after the High Court verdict Siddaramaiah’s deputy, DK Shivakumar, who is also the Congress’ state unit boss, said “there is no question (of the Chief Minister resigning)… he has not done anything wrong and is not involved in any scam. This is a political conspiracy by the BJP…”

Siddaramaiah has also been backed by his ministers, including Priyank Kharge, who is the son of Congress boss Mallikarjun Kharge, and Ramalinga Reddy, who said his boss is “100 per cent clean”.

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New Delhi:

A fierce political war erupted in Karnataka Tuesday after the High Court upheld Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot’s order to prosecute Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the alleged MUDA land scam case.

The opposition BJP ramped up its attacks on Siddaramaiah and the Congress, demanding the former’s resignation and calling on the latter to “apologise” to the Governor’s office for doubting the legality of Mr Gehlot’s order. However, the Chief Minister’s colleagues hit back strongly, labelling him “100 per cent clean” and counter-accusing the saffron party of planning a “big conspiracy”.

There is “no question of any resignation”, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said.

Earlier today the High Court dismissed Siddaramaiah’s petition challenging Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot’s decision to sanction prosecution of the Chief Minister.

READ | “Governor’s Action As Per Law”: Big Setback For Siddaramaiah In Court

The court disagreed with the argument – that Mr Gehlot “did not apply his mind” and that his order is “fully reviewable”. Justice M Nagaprasanna said the Governor, in fact, applied his mind “in abundance”.

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi called the verdict a “slap on the Congress government and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah”. “The Karnataka High Court has answered all questions that were raised (and now) Siddaramaiah should resign, so an impartial investigation can be conducted by the CBI…”

In a key statement – seen as a riposte to the Congress’ claims the charges against the Chief Minister were orchestrated by the Bharatiya Janata Party to destablise and bring down Siddaramaiah’s administration – Mr Joshi also declared the BJP “has no desire to topple the state government”.

Meanwhile, flagging the court’s observation – that “there is no fault in the Governor’s actions – BY Vijayendra, the BJP’s state unit boss, “respectfully” demanded that the Chief Minister must now resign since there are allegations of financial impropriety against his family members.

“I request the Chief Minister to keep aside his charges against the Governor, respect the High Court order and, since there are allegations that your family is involved… you should respectfully resign.”

READ | “Truth Will Come Out”: Siddaramaiah On Land Scam Case Court Setback

“BJP has been relentlessly fighting against the corrupt Congress. They said BJP is plotting a political conspiracy… but the High Court has clearly said Governor’s decision is correct. Accepting this, Chief Minister should resign immediately…” Mr Vijayendra told reporters.

Mr Vijayendra, also the son of former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, isn’t the only BJP leader to have taken shots at the Congress this afternoon. Lahar Singh Saroya, the party’s Rajya Sabha MP from the southern state, has demanded the ruling party “apologise to the Governor’s office”.

“If they (the Congress) have any morality left… then Chief Minister Siddaramaiah should resign.”

Four-time MLA and the BJP’s former National General Secretary, CT Ravi, offered a more scathing response, telling Siddaramaiah to “resign to your dignity”. “Law is the same for everyone… is there a separate law for Siddaramaiah? Did we tell him to be corrupt? They did it and are now accusing us.”

The Congress, meanwhile, has claimed a “conspiracy” against its Chief Minister and government, with Siddaramaiah’s deputy and state unit boss, DK Shivakumar, backing “my Chief Minister”.

There is no question (of Siddaramaiah’s resignation)… he has not done anything wrong and is not involved in any scam. This is a political conspiracy by the BJP against all opposition leaders.”

“We will stand by him… we will support him. He has been doing good work for state and party,” Mr Shivakumar told reporters. His support is seen as critical in the context of pressure on Siddaramaiah to quit, given the two faced off for the position after the Congress won last year’s Assembly election.

Karnataka ministers Priyank Kharge (who is also the son of Congress boss Mallikarjun Kharge) and Ramalinga Reddy have also backed Siddaramaiah, insisting there is no resign for him to resign.

“He is a ‘clean hand’ Chief Minister. We don’t find a Chief Minister like this… he is 100 per cent clean but BJP people are most corrupt in India… there is no value to their words,” Mr Reddy thundered.

With input from agencies

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Bengaluru:

The Karnataka High Court on Monday directed the trial court to take no action against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah following Governor Thawaar Chand Gehlot sanctioning the Congress leader’s prosecution in the alleged MUDA land scam case. The interim relief for the embattled Chief Minister will be in effect till August 29, when the High Court will hear this case next.

Siddaramaiah had moved the High Court against Mr Gehlot’s nod to prosecute him and sought this interim relief on grounds the Governor’s action was “illegal and without authority of law”, and that allowing his prosecution posed “a grave and imminent risk of irreparable harm (to his) reputation” as well as “disrupt governance… and potentially result in political destabilisation”.

“Since the matter is heard by this court and pleadings are to be completed… till the next date of hearing the concerned court (the trial court) should defer its proceedings…” the High Court said.

In its order the court noted that documents submitted by the petitioner (i.e., Chief Minister Siddaramaiah) had “referred to several points of order… to prima facie demonstrate that (the) order (granting sanction to prosecute) bears non-application of mind (by the Governor).

The court also noted the Chief Minister’s submission – that the Governor had sanctioned prosecution of the former at “breakneck” speed following filing of a complaint on July 26.

During the hearing senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Siddaramaiah, had urged the court to direct “no precipitate action” and claimed the sanction granted by the Governor is “part of a concerted effort to destabilise the duly elected government of Karnataka…”

He argued the Governor had “picked this complaint (filed by activist TJ Abraham) … out of 12 to 15 still pending, without single reason”. He further argued that conditions to be met for application of Section 17 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, under which the Chief Minister has been charged, were missing.

READ | Siddaramaiah Slams Governor’s “Illegal” ‘Prosecute’ Nod In Land Scam

Mr Singhvi also flagged what he said were other errors that betrayed the order was passed “without application of mind”, including the show-cause notice sent to Siddaramaiah referring to one complaint and the Governor’s sanction to prosecute referring to “other complaints”.

“Mr Abraham’s complaint is received and, on the same day, the Governor issues the show-cause notice… legal malice (against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah) has to be inferred. Somebody goes to a ‘friendly governor’, gives a complaint, and he issues notice…” Mr Singhvi jibed.

Mr Singhvi also referred to the Cabinet’s “detailed, legal, and reasoned order” on this topic, and continued, “What did he decide? Order is silent on reasons why sanction should be granted.”

“Never Misused Power…”: Siddaramaiah

Hours earlier the Chief Minister had said he had not done anything illegal in a political career spanning four decades, and expressed confidence the judiciary would come to his aid.

The senior Congress leader declared he had been a Chief Minister and a Minister over the course of his career and had “never misused power for personal gains”. He also dismissed protests by the BJP, saying, “In politics it is natural that parties will protest… so let them protest, I am clean.”

READ | “In 40 Years Did Nothing Wrong”: Under-Fire Siddaramaiah In Land Scam

A massive row erupted in Karnataka over the weekend after the Governor sanctioned prosecution of the Chief Minister on corruption charges in connection with the Mysuru Urban Development Authority, or MUDA, case after petitions by three activists.

The Governor said his order was necessary to conduct a “neutral, objective, and non-partisan investigation”, adding he is prima facie “satisfied” the alleged infractions were, in fact, committed.

MUDA Land Scam Case Explained

The alleged MUDA scam focuses on the value of land allotted to the Chief Minister’s wife, Parvathi, in an upmarket area of Mysuru as compensation for land elsewhere taken for infra development.

Critics allege the value of land allotted grossly – by Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000 crore – exceeds that taken.

NDTV Explains | MUDA Case In Which Siddaramaiah May Be Prosecuted

Specifically, in a complaint filed by an activist, TJ Abraham, that named the Chief Minister, his wife and son, and senior MUDA officials, it was alleged that allotment of 14 alternative sites in a Mysuru neighbourhood was illegal and caused a loss of Rs 45 crore.

Siddaramaiah had claimed the land was gifted by his wife’s brother in 1998. However, another activist Snehmayi Krishna alleged the brother had procured it illegally and registered it using forged documents with help from government officials. The land was shown to have been bought in 1998.

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Bengaluru:

Karnataka Governor Thawaar Chand Gehlot’s decision to sanction prosecution of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah – over alleged irregularities in land allotment by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority – was “in violation of the principles of natural justice”, the Congress leader told the High Court Monday.

Under fire from the BJP – which was defeated by the Congress in last year’s Assembly election – Siddaramaiah also warned of “political destabilisation” if the Governor’s order is allowed to stand. The Chief Minister sought an order preventing authorities from further action relating to Mr Gehlot’s order.

In his petition the Chief Minister claimed the Governor’s grant of sanction to prosecute him was “illegal and without authority of law”. Siddaramaiah said Mr Gehlot – whom he earlier called a “puppet” of the centre – had “passed the order without proper application of mind and due consideration of the facts…”

In a strongly-worded petition Siddaramaiah further warned the court that “in the absence of interim relief… there is a grave and imminent risk of irreparable harm (to his) reputation”.

Allowing the Governor’s sanction to stand would also lead to “severe prejudice… disrupt governance of the state, and potentially result in political destabilisation”, Siddaramaiah argued.

“Such harm, if inflicted, cannot be adequately remedied at a later stage.”

“Never Misused Power…”

Hours earlier the Chief Minister told reporters he had not done anything illegal in a political career spanning four decades, and expressed confidence the judiciary would come to his aid.

The senior Congress leader declared he had been a Chief Minister and a Minister over the course of his career and had “never misused power for personal gains”. He also dismissed protests by the BJP, saying, “In politics it is natural that parties will protest… so let them protest, I am clean.”

READ | “In 40 Years Did Nothing Wrong”: Under-Fire Siddaramaiah

On Saturday Siddaramaiah had tweeted calling the Governor’s decision “anti-Constitution” and “against the law”. “It will be questioned in court. I have done no wrong to resign,” he said.

Governor OKs Move Against Chief Minister

A massive row erupted in Karnataka over the weekend after Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot sanctioned prosecution of the Chief Minister on corruption charges in connection with the Mysuru Urban Development Authority, or MUDA, case after petitions by three activists.

The Governor said his order was necessary to conduct a “neutral, objective, and non-partisan investigation”, adding he is prima facie “satisfied” the alleged infractions were, in fact, committed.

READ | Karnataka Governor Clears Chief Minister’s Prosecution In Land Scam

The sanction sparked furious protests by the Congress, which today held state-wide protests – dharnas, foot-marches and rallies in district headquarters including Mysuru – against Mr Gehlot.

The BJP has demanded Siddaramaiah – who faces the ruling Congress’ first major challenge since a surprisingly dominant win in the 2023 Assembly election – resign to facilitate the investigation.

MUDA Land Scam Case Explained

The alleged MUDA scam focuses on the value of land allotted to the Chief Minister’s wife, Parvathi, in an upmarket area of Mysuru as compensation for land elsewhere taken for infra development.

Critics allege the value of land allotted grossly – by Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000 crore – exceeds that taken.

NDTV Explains | MUDA Case In Which Siddaramaiah May Be Prosecuted

Specifically, in a complaint filed by an activist, TJ Abraham, that named the Chief Minister, his wife and son, and senior MUDA officials, it was alleged that allotment of 14 alternative sites in a Mysuru neighbourhood was illegal and caused a loss of Rs 45 crore.

READ | 3.16 Acres Bought For Rs 1 In 1935: Siddaramaiah On Mysuru Land Scam

Siddaramaiah had claimed the land was gifted by his wife’s brother in 1998. However, another activist Snehmayi Krishna alleged the brother had procured it illegally and registered it using forged documents with help from government officials. The land was shown to have been bought in 1998.

The Chief Minister’s wife sought compensation in 2014 when Siddaramaiah held the top post.

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Bengaluru:

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has moved the Karnataka High Court against Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot’s decision to sanction his prosecution in an alleged land scam case. Siddaramaiah is facing charges of alleged irregularities in the compensatory site allotment to his wife by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) during his tenure as chief minister.

While the BJP has been demanding his resignation over the allegations, the Congress has ruled out any such move. The chief minister has also termed the Governor’s move as “anti-Constitution” and “against the law”, and asserted he would challenge it in court since he has done “nothing wrong”.  

This marks yet another confrontation between a Governor and a state government led by a non-BJP party.

Read | Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah To Be Prosecuted In Land Scam Case

Mr Gehlot had given a go-ahead to the Lokayukta on Saturday to prosecute Siddaramaiah in the alleged land scam case. The Chief Minister filed a petition this morning challenging the decision.

The sanction was based on petitions by three activists – Pradeep Kumar, TJ Abraham, and Snehamayi Krishna, who had alleged the allotment caused loss worth crores to the state exchequer.

It followed a notice to the Chief Minister, in which the Governor had asked him to explain within seven days why he shouldn’t be prosecuted. The state cabinet had called it “gross misuse of the Constitutional office” and asked the Governor to withdraw it.

In July, Mr Abraham had filed a Lokayukta complaint alleging that 14 sites in an upscale Mysuru neighbourhood were “illegally” allotted to BM Parvathi, wife of Siddaramaiah. This caused a loss of Rs 45 crore to the state exchequer, he had alleged.

Read | Explained: What Is MUDA Case In Which Siddaramaiah Will Be Prosecuted

Mr Krishna had also alleged the involvement of Siddaramaiah, his wife and MUDA and administrative officials in the scam.

Siddaramiah had claimed that the land for which his wife got a compensation, was gifted to her in 1998. But Ms Krishna alleged that the land was procured illegally in 2004 and was registered as being bought in 1998 using forged documents with the help of government officials.

Ms Parvathi sought compensation for this land in 2014, when Siddaramaiah was Chief Minister. But Siddaramaiah had said his wife was awarded compensation when the BJP was in power and that it was her right.

Bengaluru:

Karnataka Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah will be prosecuted over the alleged irregularities in site allocations by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA). Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot has sanctioned his prosecution in the MUDA land scam case after petitions by three activists – Pradeep Kumar, TJ Abraham, and 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 Shri 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.

Read | Big Charge Against Siddaramaiah’s Wife Amid Mysuru Land Compensation Row

The Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) has confirmed that it has received this communication.

Siddaramaiah had earlier termed the charges “politically motivated”.

The Governor had last month issued a “show-cause notice” to the Chief Minister, directing him to reply to the allegations against him within seven days and state why he shouldn’t be prosecuted.

This sparked a resolution by the state cabinet asking the Governor not to sanction the prosecution. The Siddaramaiah-led government had also advised him to withdraw the notice and alleged “gross misuse of the Constitutional Office” of the Governor.

The Governor’s notice followed a petition by anti-corruption activist TJ Abraham to prosecute Siddaramaiah over alleged irregularities in the MUDA. In his petition, he alleged the multi-crore scam caused huge losses to the state’s exchequer.

In a complaint filed with the Lokayukta police in July, Mr Abraham had alleged that the allotment of 14 alternative sites in an upscale Mysuru neighbourhood to Siddaramaiah’s wife BM Parvathi was illegal, which caused the exchequer a Rs 45 crore loss.

Read | 3.16 Acres Of Land Originally Bought For ₹ 1 In 1935: Siddaramaiah On Mysuru Land Scam

The complaint named Siddaramaiah, wis wife, son S Yathindra, and senior MUDA officials.

Another activist, Snehamayi Krishna also alleged the involvement of Siddaramaiah, his wife, and MUDA and administrative officials in the alleged land scam. A fresh FIR was not filed as the police said probe was already underway in the case.

Siddaramiah had claimed that the land for which his wife received compensation, was gifted by her brother Mallikarjuna in 1998. But activist Krishna alleged that Mallikarjuna had procured it illegally in 2004 and got it registered it using forged documents with the help of government and revenue officials. The land was shown to have been bought in 1998. Ms Parvathi sought compensation for this land in 2014, when Siddaramaiah was Chief Minister.

The BJP, which has been demanding a CBI probe in the case, held a weeklong padayatra from Bengaluru to Mysuru earlier this month against the Congress government.

Responding to the BJP offensive, Siddaramaiah had said his wife was awarded compensation when the BJP was in power and that it was her right. “They (BJP) are the ones who gave the site, now if they call it illegal, how should one respond?” he had asked.