BENGALURU: BJP and JDS leaders on Saturday demanded Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s resignation after Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot gave permission to prosecute him in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) sites allotment case.
“Given the substantial evidence and serious allegations of corruption and favouritism within the Congress government, it is crucial that the chief minister steps down. Resigning would allow for a transparent and unbiased investigation, ensuring that the dignity of the Chief Minister’s office is maintained and that justice is served,” BJP state president BY Vijayendra stated.
Defending the governor’s decision, the BJP state president said the former has exercised his constitutional powers to authorise legal action on the MUDA scam complaint against the chief minister.
Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R Ashoka termed it as a victory for the BJP-JDS Bengaluru-Mysuru Padayatra. The CM must resign and return the MUDA sites, while the CBI probe should be ordered into the case, he said. The BJP leader said they are not fighting against any individual, but to get justice for the people waiting for MUDA sites. Ashoka said the BJP is not trying to destabilise the Congress government, but Congress MLAs are unhappy with their party and government and are revolting against them. Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Chaluvadi Narayanswamy and senior BJP leader and MLC N Ravi Kumar said Siddaramaiah must immediately resign. Narayanswamy said legal action should be taken against the CM by registering an FIR. The BJP leaders defended the governor’s action.
While former minister Gali Janardhan Reddy said if Siddaramaiah is really honest, he should resign and face the probe, JDS leader Nikhil Kumaraswamy said the CM has no option but to accept the truth and resign.
“The MUDA scam is a purely personal allegation against Siddaramaiah, his wife, and his family. It is about private land they own. He should fight it as an individual, not as the CM by involving the state government machinery. I am sure the CM knows the difference,” BJP MP Lahar Singh Siroya said.
Siddu should have surrendered sites to avoid trouble: Whistle-blower MLA Srivatsa
MYSURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah would not have been in trouble if he had returned the 14 sites allotted to his wife Parvati, said BJP MLA Srivatsa, a whistleblower in the MUDA scam, here on Saturday. Siddaramaiah should resign on moral grounds, and truth has prevailed in the MUDA case, he said. Congress knew about the governor granting permission for prosecution, he alleged. BJP spokesperson Mohan said Srivatsa had written to the Chief Secretary and the government, alleging violations by MUDA commissioners Natesh and Dinesh in allocating sites without bringing it to the notice of MUDA members. But the government did not take the letter seriously and later, constituted a two-member commission of IAS officers to look into the allegations, he added. Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh visited the MUDA office and took away important files related to the 50:50 site allotment scam, in which Siddaramaiah’s wife has been blamed. The minister did not even invite Srivatsa for a meeting, he alleged. Welcoming the governor’s decision, former MP Pratap Simha said Siddaramaiah did not consider his suggestion to return the sites and get the inquiry done from a sitting judge.