Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah faces prosecution in MUDA scam | Know all about the land scam
MUDA land scam: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is embroiled in a significant political challenge after Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot granted permission to prosecute him over alleged irregularities in the site allotment by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA).
This development has intensified the ongoing campaign by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) against Siddaramaiah, accusing him and his government of involvement in a major land scam. The BJP has been vociferous in demanding the Karnataka Chief Minister’s resignation, but Siddaramaiah has vehemently denied all allegations, including those against his wife, BM Parvathi.
What the controversy is all about ?
The MUDA land scam revolves around the allocation of compensatory land parcels to Siddaramaiah's wife during his previous tenure as Chief Minister. Social activists claim that this process was fraught with irregularities, resulting in financial losses amounting to crores of rupees for the state exchequer. The accusations have not only implicated Siddaramaiah and his wife, but have also drawn in senior officials from the MUDA and the revenue department.
Three social activists—Pradeep Kumar, TJ Abraham, and Snehamayi Krishna—have been at the forefront of the campaign to hold Siddaramaiah accountable. These activists approached Governor Gehlot, urging him to take legal action against the Chief Minister.
TJ Abraham, a prominent anti-corruption activist, was the first to raise the alarm, alleging that the scam was of a multi-crore scale and had caused significant financial damage to the state. In his petition to the Governor, Abraham requested that Siddaramaiah be prosecuted for his role in the alleged scam. In July, Abraham took his complaint to the Lokayukta police, specifically targeting the allotment of 14 sites in a high-end Mysuru neighbourhood to Siddaramaiah’s wife, BM Parvathi. According to Abraham, this allotment was illegal and resulted in a Rs 45 crore loss to the state exchequer. Besides Siddaramaiah and his wife, the complaint also named their son, S Yathindra, and senior officials in the MUDA.
Another activist, Snehamayi Krishna, also accused Siddaramaiah, his wife, and several MUDA and administrative officials of being involved in the MUDA scam. Despite these serious allegations, the police did not file a fresh FIR, citing that an investigation was already in progress.
What does Siddaramaiah has to say about this scam?
In his defense, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah has consistently argued that the land for which his wife received compensation was legally gifted to her by her brother, Mallikarjuna, in 1998. However, activist Krishna has disputed this claim, alleging that Mallikarjuna acquired the land illegally in 2004, using forged documents with the assistance of government and revenue officials to backdate the transaction to 1998. According to Krishna, BM Parvathi sought compensation for this land in 2014, during Siddaramaiah’s term as Chief Minister.
Siddaramaiah has categorically dismissed these charges as baseless and politically motivated. He points out that the compensation awarded to his wife was done when the BJP was in power, and asserts that it was her rightful claim. “They (BJP) are the ones who gave the site, now if they call it illegal, how should one respond?” Siddaramaiah questioned, suggesting that the accusations were part of a broader political conspiracy against him.
Governor's action in MUDA scam
The controversy escalated further when Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot sanctioned the Lokayukta to initiate prosecution against Siddaramaiah, based on the petitions filed by the three activists. This move was welcomed by the Karnataka BJP, which has been eager to capitalise on the situation, while the Congress has decried the Governor’s action as a "politically motivated conspiracy."
The Governor’s decision came on the heels of a "show-cause notice" issued to Siddaramaiah last month, in which the Governor demanded that the Chief Minister explain within seven days why he should not be prosecuted. In response, the Karnataka Government advised the Governor to withdraw the notice, arguing that it represented a "gross misuse of the Constitutional Office" of the Governor.
- With inputs from agencies
