BJP in Karnataka stages protest demanding CM Siddaramaiah’s resignation

PTI, Sep 26, 2024, 12:02 PM IST

Bengaluru: Opposition BJP in Karnataka on Thursday staged a protest demanding Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s resignation following a Special Court here ordering a Lokayukta police probe against him in a site allotment case.

The protest led by Leader of Opposition in Legislative Assembly R Ashoka and Legislative Council Chalajavadi Narayanaswamy in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue at Vidhana Soudha, the seat of the state legislature and secretariat here, was joined by several party lawmakers and leaders.

They protested, holding placards and shouting slogans demanding Siddaramaiah’s resignation.

A Special Court here on Wednesday ordered a Lokayukta police probe against Siddaramaiah in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment case, setting the stage for filing of an FIR against him.

The order of the Special Court Judge, Santhosh Gajanan Bhat, came a day after the High Court upheld the sanction granted by the Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to conduct an investigation against Siddaramaiah on the allegations of illegalities in the allotment of 14 sites to his wife B M Parvathi by MUDA.

The Special Court exclusively to deal with criminal cases related to former and elected MPs/MLAs issued the order directing the Lokayukta police in Mysuru to initiate an investigation on the complaint filed by RTI activist Snehamayi Krishna.

Soon after the Special Court order on Wednesday, BJP leaders demanded for CM’s resignation and that the investigation be handed over to the independent agency CBI, for a free and impartial probe.

Siddaramaiah on Tuesday after the HC order had made it clear that he is not going to resign.

On Wednesday after the Special Court verdict, the CM had said that he was ready to face an investigation.

In the MUDA site allotment case, it is alleged that compensatory sites were allotted to Siddaramaiah’s wife in an upmarket area in Mysuru, which had higher property value as compared to the location of her land which had been “acquired” by MUDA.

The MUDA had allotted plots to Parvathi under a 50:50 ratio scheme in lieu of 3.16 acres of her land, where it developed a residential layout.

Under the controversial scheme, MUDA allotted 50 per cent of developed land to the land losers in lieu of undeveloped land acquired from them for forming residential layouts.

It is alleged that Parvathi had no legal title over this 3.16 acres of land at survey number 464 of Kasare village, Kasaba hobli of Mysuru taluk.