Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday reaffirmed that he will not resign over allegations related to the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land allotment scam. The opposition, according to Siddaramaiah, is making these demands with the sole aim of destabilising his government.
“I will not resign. HD Kumaraswamy is a minister; he is on bail after an FIR was lodged against him. He is a minister in the Narendra Modi government. It’s politics by them to destabilise our government; that is why they are doing it,” Siddaramaiah told reporters.
The Chief Minister referred to the opposition’s attempts as part of “Operation Lotus,” a term often used to describe efforts by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to topple governments. “They tried Operation Lotus, but they failed because we are 136 legislators. They formed the government without a mandate twice; did Yediyurappa win? We will fight it legally,” he added, showcasing his confidence in the stability of his government.
Senior Minister Priyank Kharge also weighed in on the situation, challenging the BJP to present any concrete evidence of corruption in the alleged MUDA case. “The CM is very clear that he’s open to investigation. And we have also set up an SIT with one retired judge at the helm of affairs. BJP is more than free to give any documents of any nature to them. Now that the Lokayukta is also in the loop, they are free to do that too. Instead of talking to the media, let them give all the documents they have to the investigative agencies,” Kharge said.
However, BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari insisted that the chief minister had admitted to corruption, stating, “The CM of Karnataka, Siddaramaiah, has admitted that there is prima facie corruption in the MUDA scam. He has admitted that he is guilty. This is the precise reason he has revoked the general consent given to CBI.” Bhandari also claimed that the Karnataka High Court had concluded that the CM was involved in a financial benefit of Rs. 55 crore to his family in the MUDA scam.
“The CM of Karnataka is a corrupt man. To save his corruption, he wants to ensure that no independent agency investigates the matter. The root of the problem is Rahul Gandhi because he promotes individuals in Congress who are involved in corruption… Rahul Gandhi’s Congress is the king of corruption,” Bhandari added, further intensifying the political rhetoric.
On Wednesday, a Special Court in Bengaluru passed an order directing the Karnataka Lokayukta to conduct an investigation against Siddaramaiah regarding alleged illegalities in the allotment of 14 sites worth Rs. 56 crore to his wife, Parvathi, by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority. The order followed the Karnataka High Court’s decision to uphold the Governor’s sanction to investigate the Chief Minister over the allegations.
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