Siddaramaiah rebuts opposition charge over MUDA 'scam', denies role

Bengaluru, NT Bureau: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday strongly defended himself in connection with the alleged fraudulent allotment of sites to land losers by Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA), including to his wife Parvathi, and asserted that neither he or his family has any role in it.

He accused the opposition BJP and JD(S) of making politically motivated allegations against him out of "hate and revenge", with an intention to "put a black mark on his image", as they are unable to digest that he has become Chief Minister for the second time.

Siddaramaiah also said that the Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot has sought a report from the government regarding the alleged irregularities in MUDA and a report will be sent "as everything is totally and absolutely legal."

"Is there any role of either mine or my wife or my brotherin-law in this? Our land was taken (by MUDA) , sites were made and they were allocated to others. So MUDA gave us (alternate sites) as given to others, after accepting their mistake. What is illegality in this? " Siddaramaiah asked while giving a detailed statement to the allegations made against him by BJP-JD(S). Speaking to reporters here, he said: "Absolutely my role is not there. It is totally and absolutely legal. BJP and JD(S) are indulging in false propaganda for the sake of politics and trying to defame me personally, unable to digest that I have become the Chief Minister for the second time, and as they have lost the 2023 assembly polls and faced a setback in 2024 Lok Sabha polls." 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 the MUDA. The MUDA had allotted plots to Parvathi under a 50:50 ratio scheme in lieu of 3.16 acres of her land, where MUDA developed a residential layout. The controversial scheme envisages allotting 50 per cent of developed land to the land loser in lieu of undeveloped land acquired for forming layouts. Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh said several leaders from the opposition parties or their family members or relatives or friends or supporters have also been given alternative sites, and they included Union Minister and JD(S) state chief H D Kumaraswamy, BJP MLC Manje Gowda, JD(S) MLA and former Minister G T Deve Gowda, BJP MLC and former Minister H Vishwanath, former JD(S) MLA Sa Ra Mahesh. "I'm not saying all of this was done wrongly, it has been done in accordance with law, as given in this case (to CM's wife).... We will give these documents to the judicial commission and they will look into these allotments," he said, adding that Kumaraswamy has even sought for more alternative sites recently stating that his lands were acquired, and it is being looked into. Pointing out that he first became MLA in 1983 and Minister in 1984, Siddaramaiah said: "as legislator, Minister, Deputy Chief Minister and Chief Minister, I h a v e been in politics for more than 40 years, it is 40 years since I became Minister first, so far there is no single black spot on my name (image). My political life is an open book."