Trouble for CM Siddaramaiah? Karnataka Governor grants permission to prosecute him in MUDA scam

Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot has granted sanction for prosecution of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in connection with Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment 'scam’, official sources said told PTI on Saturday.

“The Governor has granted sanction for prosecution against the Chief Minister. It is based on three petitions filed by T J Abraham, one Pradeep and Snehamayi Krishna,” an official at the Raj Bhavan told PTI.

Also Read: How a 3-acre land in Mysuru puts Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah in a tight political spot. All you need to know

Based on a petition filed by advocate-activist T J Abraham, Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot had issued a “showcause notice” on July 26 directing the Chief Minister to submit his reply to the allegations against him within seven days as to why permission for prosecution should not be granted against him.

The Karnataka government had on August 1 "strongly advised" the Governor to withdraw his “showcause notice” to the Chief Minister and alleged "gross misuse of the Constitutional Office '' of the Governor.

The case is related to the MUDA scam in which Siddaramaiah’s wife got alternative sites in an upmarket area for the alleged illegal acquisition of three acres and 16 guntas of agricultural land in Kesarur in Mysuru city. Siddaramaiah has dismissed these allegations as baseless.

BJP MP Tejasvi Surya told ANI, “This is a very significant development. The nature of the allegations are very serious... Needless to say, one cannot expect the CM to continue on office while agencies reporting to him, are investigating charges against him... We hope that the CM will take moral responsibility and resign to make way for impartial investigations.”

Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar said, "On August 1, we held a cabinet meeting and demanded the Governor to withdraw the decision. We also told him that the complaint has no merit and democracy must be saved by dismissing the complaint."

Earlier, Social activist Snehamayi Krishna has filed a complaint against Siddaramaiah and nine others, accusing them of document forgery to claim compensation from the MUDA. The complaint alleges that Siddaramaiah, his wife Parvathy, his brother-in-law Malikarjuna Swamy Devaraj, and their family were involved in creating fraudulent documents to secure plots worth crores of rupees.

Also Read: ‘BJP offered ₹50 crore to Congress MLAs but...’: Siddaramaiah hints at ’Operation Lotus’ in Karnataka

The BJP has demanded the return of the land allocated to the CM's family, while the opposition has accused Siddaramaiah of appropriating land that rightfully belonged to the Dalit community.

(With inputs from PTI)