BJP-JDS delegation meets Karnataka Governor, seeks CBI investigation into MUDA "scam"

Jul 25, 2024

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], July 25 : A BJP-JDS delegation met Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot in Bengaluru and requested a CBI inquiry into the alleged scam at the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA).
The delegation included Karnataka BJP chief BY Vijayendra, R Ashoka, Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly, and JD(S) MLA CB Suresh Babu.
The delegation told the governor that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's resignation was necessary since his family was involved in the scam.
On Thursday, MLAs of the BJP and JD(S) held a night-long protest inside the Karnataka Vidhan Soudha and slept inside the assembly after their demand for a discussion in the House was not allowed by the Speaker.
The BJP MLAs had entered the well of the House, insisting on a thorough investigation into the scam.
Earlier, a complaint was filed by social activist Snehamayi Krishna against Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and nine others for allegedly forging documents to claim compensation from the Mysuru Urban Development Authority.
The complaint alleges wrongdoing by Siddaramaiah, his wife Parvathy, his brother-in-law Malikarjuna Swamy Devaraj, who claimed to be a landowner, and his family. It was further alleged that MUDA created fake documents and obtained plots worth crores of rupees. Snehamayi Krishna has raised several questions in his complaint.
The BJP demands that the land given to the CM's family should be returned. The opposition accused Siddaramaiah of usurping the lands that belonged to the Dalit community.
"We will not allow injustice towards Dalits. The land given to the CM's family should be returned. Approximately five thousand plots were allotted randomly, and these too should be returned to the government," BY Vijayendra said on Thursday.
Meanwhile, in a counter-allegation, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Thursday said that the government would soon release a list of MUDA sites illegally allotted by the previous Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government.
Speaking to reporters at Vidhana Soudha, he said, "The media had reported that Muda sites in question were allotted by the BJP two years ago. The BJP could have admitted it during the discussion in the session. They are scared that their misdeeds will come out."
"We allowed detailed discussions on the Valmiki Development Corporation scam and the BJP leaders raised many issues. But the same BJP did not allow Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah to respond fearing being exposed. But the CM exposed the BJP's scams in writing. The government has ordered an inquiry into all those scams," he explained.