MUDA ‘scam’: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah shares video showing whitened portion of letter written by his wife

PTI, Aug 26, 2024, 8:53 PM IST

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday shared a video on his social media handle in a bid to silence the BJP and the JD(S) for raising doubts over a whitener used by his wife Parvathi in her application seeking an alternative site against the ‘illegal acquisition’ of her land by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) in Mysuru.

The chief minister said his wife had only asked for alternative land either in Devanur Third Stage or any other layout formed by MUDA afterwards.

The video shows a mobile torch light focused on the portion of the letter which was covered by whitener. It read: “either in Devanur Third Stage or any other equivalent layout formed later”.

The letter written by Parvathi read, “The Authority has not provided me any compensation for my land. Hence, I request the authority to grant me a land of the dimension similar to my property measuring 3 acres 16 guntas ‘either in Devanur Third Stage Layout or any other equivalent layout formed later’ by the MUDA. If it is not possible, then I request (to the Authority) to return my land.”

“BJP-JDS leaders are tearing their throats as if it is a great crime has been committed by putting whitener on four or five words in the application submitted by my wife (requesting MUDA) to give replacement land to our family land illegally acquired by MUDA,” the chief minister wrote in a post on social media platform X.

He asked the BJP and the JD(S) leaders to take off their “hate glasses” and see properly.

Due to the non-availability of plots there (in Devanur Layout), whitener was put on four or five words, Siddaramaiah explained.

He said there was neither an administrative note, nor order or even approval in the letter. It has only one request to get her land.

The chief minister asked the “legal luminaries” in the rival camp what they would say for spreading falsehoods that his wife had applied for land in Vijayanagar in Mysuru and later whitener was put on the portion when the MUDA issue came to fore.

The MUDA case pertains to the allotment of compensatory sites (plots) to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife Parvathi against the ‘illegal acquisition’ of three acres and 16 Guntas of land in Kesarur in Mysuru city by the development authority.

The opposition BJP and the JD(S) have cried foul and three activists approached Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot requesting him to permit an investigation against the chief minister. The governor gave his assent on August 16, which put Karnataka politics into a turmoil.

The governor had issued the order permitting investigation and prosecution of the chief minister after activists Pradeepkumar S P, T J Abraham and Snehamayi Krishna submitted to him petitions requesting it.

The chief minister has approached the Karnataka High Court seeking to quash the governor’s order and grant interim relief.

The matter will come up for hearing on August 29.