Karnataka BJP to hold massive protests in Mysore against Siddaramaiah govt in alleged MUDA scam

Karnataka BJP chief and MLA BY Vijayendra on Wednesday said that the BJP would hold a "massive protest" in Mysore on July 12 regarding the mismanagement of the Mysore Development Authority (MUDA). Karnataka BJP chief BY Vijayendra. (PTI)

Addressing a media conference at Jagannath Bhavan in the BJP state office in Malleswar, Vijayendra said, "BJP has taken this scam seriously. On this 12th, I, opposition leader R. Ashok, former Deputy CM Ashwathanarayan, BJP MLAs and activists said that they are going to hold a massive protest in Mysore."

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"The chief minister is shedding crocodile tears for the poor. The land should be allotted to the poor. Already allotted land should be cancelled. Since the CM and his wife are accused, it is not appropriate to conduct another SIT investigation," said Vijayendra.

He demanded that the investigation of this huge scam should be handed over to the CBI immediately.

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Vijayendra further stated, "Mysore is a land scam; A big scandal related to the Muda Authority's land took place there. Siddaramaiah has given many wrong information in this case. The mask of the honourable Chief Minister has come off. However, thinking that the valuable land should be occupied, they violated the rules and committed illegal activities. The Chief Minister should answer to the people in this matter. He demanded that he should be held accountable for this scam."

"At every stage in this land scam, irregularities have been committed," he alleged. "The Chief Minister has to answer to the people and should take responsibility for the scam... the CM, who promised ₹2,000 (a month) to poor women, has given 14 sites worth more than ₹two crore each, together worth about ₹63-64 crore to his wife."

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Vijayendra further said, "It is Siddaramaiah who commits irregularities during his tenure and seeks compensation from his own government, it is Siddaramaiah."

"So, the CM's wife should have got only two sites of 40x60 (square feet) measurement. Which means, 14 sites that have been given are completely in violation of rules," he said, alleging "misinformation" on the part of the CM by claiming that his wife received sites that were worth only ₹18 crore, while she was supposed to have received compensatory sites worth more than ₹62 crore."

Demanding resignation of the CM Siddaramaiah, he further said, "Our demand is that the MUDA case should not be investigated by SIT. This case should be investigated by the CBI. Siddaramaiah should resign as CM immediately."

Earlier in the day, a complaint was filed against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and nine others for allegedly forging documents to claim compensation from the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA).

The complaint, filed by social activist Snehamayi Krishna, alleges the wrongdoings of Siddaramaiah, his wife Parvathy, his brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy Devaraj, who claimed to be a landowner, and his family.

The complaint was lodged at Vijayanagar Police Station in Mysuru.

The complaint also alleges the involvement of the deputy commissioner, tehsildar, deputy registrar and MUDA officials in the same case.

Along with the police, the letter has also been written to the governor, the state chief secretary and the principal secretary of the revenue department.

The complainant alleged that MUDA cheated by creating fake documents and obtaining plots worth crores of rupees. Snehamayi Krishna has raised several questions in his complaint.

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Saturday demanded an impartial investigation into the alleged Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam and appealed to the state government to transfer it to the CBI.

Pralhad Joshi said, “It is alleged that it is a more than ₹3,800 crores scam and plots duly authorised by MUDA have been transferred in the name of the wife of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. There is a huge scam and the then DC who has now been transferred to cover up the same, had written more than 15 letters to the state government to look into the matter and show proper directions to MUDA. In spite of that, they did not act and Siddaramaiah got very valuable land.”