BENGALURU: Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R Ashoka on Thursday rubbished the Congress ministers’ allegation that he had illegally purchased a Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) land and returned it after a case was filed against him in the Lokayukta.
Terming it as an attempt to tarnish his image, the senior BJP leader said everything in the land deal was legal, and the then Governor appointed by the Congress government at the Centre or the courts had not held him guilty. “Congress is trying to be bigger than the courts and give a judgment,” Ashoka added.
On Wednesday, Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister HK Patil, and Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda accused Ashoka of illegally purchasing land in Lottegollahalli and returning it to the BDA through a gift deed after a case was filed with the Lokayukta.
Ashoka said that the Congress leaders were discussing an old case to tarnish his image even though he had legally purchased the land. The BJP leader said he had returned the lands before the matter went to court, but in Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s case, the sites were returned after the High Court order.
He said former Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde and Congress leader and former Speaker KB Koliwad had also suggested that the CM should resign. “When you are facing allegations, you should resolve it in the courts and and not resort to vendetta politics against opposition leaders,” Ashoka told the Congress leaders.