MUDA Scandal: BJP Spokesperson slams Siddaramaiah over 'redemption letter'; demands resignation

New Delhi [India], October 1 : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla has criticised Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah after his wife offered to surrender 14 plots that were allotted to her by the MUDA Commissioner on Monday.
Poonawalla remarked that instead of Siddaramaiah penning a resignation letter, "they have written a redemption letter."
"It should have been a letter of resignation from Siddaramaiah. Instead of writing a resignation letter, they have penned a redemption letter. The redemption letter will not shield you from the investigation. It has been established that you have engaged in corruption," Poonawalla said in a video statement.
"Why are you returning anything if there is no corruption? And that too, after the orders from the High Court, Special Court, and the registration of an FIR and the initiation of an ED case. It is time for the resignation letter; this letter will not suffice. This is an admission of guilt. Even after so many scams in Karnataka, Congress is not taking any action. Rahul Gandhi should clarify what steps will be taken. Siddaramaiah has no moral right to continue as CM," he added.
Meanwhile, Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, Member of Legislative Assembly from Vijayapura, stated that the alleged MUDA scam is a clear case of misuse of power and nepotism.

"Meek Surrender or Damage Control? Mrs. Siddaramaiah now surrenders the 14 plots awarded as compensation to her in MUDA. Why such a knee-jerk reaction? Why surrender sites and request the cancellation of the sale deed after a complaint is lodged? @siddaramaiah avare, you are now openly accepting that the award of compensation was not commensurate, equitable, and justified for your land acquisition. MUDA case is now an open-and-shut case of clear misuse of power & nepotism," Yatnal stated in a post on X.
On Monday, Siddaramaiah's wife Parvathi wrote the letter to the MUDA Commissioner after the ED booked her husband in a money laundering case linked to the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land allotment case.
"Mysore Urban Development Authority has sanctioned 14 plots of various sizes in Vijayanagar Phase 3 and 4 as compensation for the authority using my land measuring 3 acres, 16 guntas, in Survey No. 464 of Kesare Village, Kasaba Hobli, Mysore Taluk, without land acquisition," Parvathi wrote in her letter on Monday.
"I wish to surrender and return the compensation plots by cancelling the deeds of 14 plots executed in my favour by the Mysore Urban Development Authority. I am also handing over the possession of the plots back to the Mysore Urban Development Authority. Kindly take necessary steps in this regard as soon as possible," the letter read.
It is alleged that MUDA illegally allotted 14 sites to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's wife in the prime location of Mysuru city.
Earlier in the day, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) registered the Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) in an alleged money laundering case against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, linked to the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA), the sources said.
Earlier on September 27, the Lokayukta Police filed an FIR against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and others in connection with the alleged Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land allotment scam.
The FIR has been filed by the Mysuru Lokayukta under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 351, 420, 340, 09, and 120B, among others, they said.
The FIR mentions CM Siddaramaiah, his wife, brother-in-law, and others as accused in the case, they added. It is alleged that MUDA illegally allotted 14 sites to Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah's wife in the prime location of Mysuru city.