Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah received a call from the Congress high command on Saturday following the approval by the state’s governor, Thaawarchand Gehlot, to prosecute him in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land scam.
Sources confirmed that AICC General Secretaries Randeep Singh Surjewala and K.C. Venugopal made personal calls to CM Siddaramaiah and assured him that the high command stands with him at this stage. They comforted CM Siddaramaiah and asked him to be calm and not to lose courage at the moment of difficulty. They also assured him that they would tackle the sanction order legally.
Furthermore, the high command has directed CM Siddaramaiah to initiate a state-wide protest against the Governor’s decision, demonstrating the party’s firm stance on the issue.
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Meanwhile, members of the Karnataka State Backward Classes Forum took to the streets in Bengaluru to protest the Governor’s decision to give consent for prosecution against CM Siddaramaiah. The members held posters dubbing Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot as against the interest of backward classes and also burnt his posters, highlighting the tension between the two parties.
On the other hand, Pradeep Kumar S.P, one of the petitioners, who complained to the Governor seeking prosecution, filed a caveat petition on Saturday before the Karnataka High Court, submitting prayers not to pass any order issuing interim stay order in connection with the decision of the consent for prosecution without hearing him out.
Pradeep stated that CM Siddaramaiah was the Dy CM and in-charge minister of Mysuru when the scam occurred.
“CM Siddaramaiah is a member of the MUDA. He has personal knowledge and complete information about the procedures and very cleverly got the land registered in the name of his brother-in-law first and then in his wife’s name. The registration process is done in the government guest house. The RTC in 2004 clearly says the allotted land was not farmland, and already it was developed,” he said.
“If CM Siddaramaiah has any morality, they claimed that he had no black mark in his entire career and was champion of Dalits and, backwards, ended up taking away the land of a Dalit. How can he become a leader of backward classes?” Pradeep Kumar asked.
He further slammed the cabinet’s decision to advise the Governor on rejecting the prosecution demand as unconstitutional. The matter is related to personal allegations against CM Siddaramaiah. What does the cabinet have to do with the personal issue? He stated that the Mysuru Lokayukta would probably investigate CM Siddaramaiah.
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–IANS
