K Marigowda, Chairman of the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA), resigned from his post on Wednesday following a controversy surrounding the irregular allotment of sites to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's wife, Parvathi B M. As per the information, Marigowda submitted his resignation to the Urban Development Department Secretary as the row gained attention.
"I have resigned following directions from the CM. Also, as I had health issues, I have resigned. There was no pressure on me, as I had health issues I have resigned," Marigowda told the media in Bengaluru. He further stated that the investigation into the matter is underway and it will continue. "It will be known from the probe whether there were any irregularities," Marigowda added.
BJP demands Siddaramaiah's resignation
After the MUDA chairman stepped down from his post, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanded that Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also resign immediately as he is "deeply embroiled" in the land "scam". "MUDA chairman has tendered his resignation. I call upon Siddaramaiah that if you have the slightest morality left in you, you should step down immediately. You should not wait for today's sunset," BJP national spokesperson and MP Sambit Patra said at a press conference.
He said Marigowda's resignation and Siddaramaiah's wife "offering" to return the MUDA sites allocated to her make it clear that the chief minister is "deeply involved in the scam from head to toe". "There is no doubt about it," Patra said.
What is MUDA case?
In the MUDA site allotment case, it is alleged that compensatory sites were allotted to Siddaramaiah's wife B M Parvathi 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 it developed a residential layout. Under the controversial scheme, MUDA allotted 50 per cent of developed land to the land losers in lieu of undeveloped land acquired from them for forming residential layouts.
(With PTI inputs)
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