BENGALURU:Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is set to hit back at the BJP by ordering inquiries into decisions taken during that party’s rule. The BJP, which was in power before the Congress won the 2013 elections, has worked out a strategy to corner him in the Arkavathy Layout denotification scandal.
On Friday, Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy wrote to Siddaramaiah, seeking a CID inquiry into scams at the BJP-ruled Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike. Sources close to Reddy told Express that he wrote the letter at the suggestion of Siddaramaiah.
Accompanied by KPCC president G Parameshwara, Siddaramaiah met Digvijay Singh, AICC general secretary in charge of party affairs in Karnataka, on Saturday.
The leaders discussed plans to checkmate the saffron party and sought the support of Central leaders, a source said.
Explaining his stand on Arkavathy, Siddaramaiah is said to have reiterated he has not denotified even a single acre.
The BJP has been alleging he denotified 541 acres, causing windfall profits to land owners. Denotification refers to the handing of land acquired for government projects back to private parties.
The charges are false, and
are being spread by the Opposition BJP and the JD(S) to malign the Congress government, the chief minister purportedly told Singh.
CM Counter-blitz Against BJP
BJP leaders not only denotified Arkavathy Layout and industrial land, but are also implicated in the Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway deal. They face serious charges in the purchase of buses and in executing BBMP works, Siddaramaiah is said to have told Singh, with Parameshwara endorsing his position.
Central BJP leaders are trying to destabilise one of the few Congress government in the country by misusing the Raj Bhavan, Siddaramaiah is said to have complained to Singh. Singh told him not to worry and promised to back him, the source said.