Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], November 5 (ANI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Tuesday that he will appear before the Mysuru Lokayukta Police on November 6 amid allegations related to the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA).
Siddaramaiah, while campaigning in Shiggaon on Tuesday, said, “Tomorrow (November 6) I will go to Mysore Lokayukta Police. They have filed a false case against me. I will see what to say about the false case.”
The Mysuru Lokayukta officially initiated an inquiry into the case following a September 27 court order to file an FIR. The Lokayukta was directed to investigate allegations of illegalities in the allotment of 14 sites worth Rs 56 crore to Siddaramaiah’s wife, Parvathi. It is alleged that MUDA illegally allotted these sites to the Chief Minister’s wife in a prime location in Mysuru city.
Recently, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted searches at more than half a dozen locations in Mangalore, Bengaluru, Mandya, and Mysuru in connection with the MUDA-linked money laundering case. This move came within a week of the agency summoning six employees associated with the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) for questioning. The employees were summoned in connection with the high-profile alleged scam on different dates for interrogation, which will take place at the ED’s zonal office in Bengaluru. The ED has also filed a money laundering case against Siddaramaiah and others. This case was prompted by a First Information Report (FIR) from the state Lokayukta concerning the MUDA, placing the Karnataka Chief Minister in a difficult situation.
The FIR names Siddaramaiah, his wife BM Parvathi, his brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy, and Devaraju, from whom Swamy bought land that was later gifted to Parvathi. The ED has applied provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in its case, allowing the agency to summon individuals for questioning and possibly seize assets during the investigation.
Siddaramaiah has consistently denied the allegations, claiming that he is facing political persecution. He has stated that he will not resign, despite ongoing demands from the BJP for him to leave his position as head of government. As the allegations surfaced, the BJP has accused the Congress of supporting “corrupt” leaders and has demanded Siddaramaiah’s resignation. However, Siddaramaiah has quashed all demands for his resignation.
Earlier in the day, Siddaramaiah was campaigning in Shiggaon for Congress candidate Yasir Khan Pathan where he criticised Prime Minister Modi’s leadership.
The Karnataka CM said, “Modi did not get a majority in the last Lok Sabha elections. This means that Prime Minister Modi is losing the confidence of the people in the entire country.” He added, “Prime Minister Modi has given false promises to the people. Modi said that he will bring the black money abroad back to India and put 15 lakhs in the account of the people here. Has anyone got 15 lakhs?”
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also slammed the BJP and JD(S) alliance, where he discussed family politics while defending the Congress party’s choice of Yasir Khan Pathan for the Shiggaon ticket. He said, “Our Congress High Command has given the Shigaon ticket to Yasir Khan Pathan,” and then went on to criticize Prime Minister Modi for talking about family politics.
“In Shiggaon, Basavaraj Bommai’s son Bharat Bommai has been given a ticket”, he said while adding that, “I am not against family politics. People should see who they vote for in elections.’
He also pointed out that HD Kumaraswamy would not have become Chief Minister without BS Yeddyurappa’s support. However, at the last minute, “HD Kumaraswamy went against Yeddyurappa and did not give up the post of CM.”
He also commented on the alliance between HD Deve Gowda and PM Modi, stating, “Now HD Deve Gowda and PM Modi are Bhai Bhai. The BJP-JDS party is trying to remove me from the post of CM.”
Siddaramaiah also addressed the recent protests by the BJP regarding the Waqf Board. “In the 2014 Assembly elections, the BJP party said in its election manifesto that whoever encroached (illegally) on the Waqf property, that property should be returned. For those who have encroached on Waqf property (illegally), the then BJP government had issued a total of 216 notices,” The Karnataka CM said.
He also added, “If our officials have given notice to the farmers regarding the Waqf property, I have asked them to return the notice. I instructed the officials that there are waqf properties in the pahani of the farmers and they should be canceled.”
Earlier in the day, the Karnataka High Court issued notices to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and others on a petition seeking the transfer of the investigation into the MUDA land allotment case registered against the Chief Minister, his wife, and others. In a petition filed by Snehamayi Krishna, the court also issued notices to the Central and State governments, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and the Lokayukta police. The High Court directed the Lokayukta police to submit details of the probe conducted until November 25 while adjourning further hearings on the petition until November 26.(ANI)
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