Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday lambasted Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot for issuing a show-cause notice, accusing him of being manipulated by the central government and BJP-JD(S). The notice is related to alleged irregularities in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site distribution.
Addressing reporters in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah denied any involvement in the MUDA scam. "My role is not there. Where is my role?" he asked.
He further accused the central government of "misusing Raj Bhavan" and attempting to destabilize the democratically elected government. "The Governor is completely functioning as a puppet of the central government, BJP-JD(S)," Siddaramaiah stated.
All you need to know about the 'alleged' MUDA scam
Significantly, Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot earlier on July 26 issued a show-cause notice to the CM in response to a petition by advocate-activist T J Abraham. It directed the Chief Minister to respond within seven days, justifying why permission to prosecute him should not be granted.
However, the move was widely criticised by the Karnataka government, with its Council of Ministers urging Governor Gehlot to withdraw it. Earlier, speaking to the media, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar also questioned the credibility of the petitioner, T J Abraham, highlighting Abraham's criminal background, including cases of blackmail and extortion. Shivakumar expressed hope that the Governor would withdraw the notice and maintain the dignity of his office.
The council strongly urged the governor to withdraw the notice and to proceed forthwith to reject the application for sanction filed by Abraham, he said. "I am hopeful that the governor will withdraw the notice and uphold the dignity of his office in spite of any pressure," he added.
Meanwhile, in the alleged MUDA scam, it is claimed that compensatory sites were allotted to Siddaramaiah's wife, Parvathi, in an upscale area of Mysuru, which had a higher property value compared to her land acquired by MUDA. Under a controversial scheme, MUDA had allotted 50 percent of developed land to land losers in exchange for undeveloped land acquired for forming residential layouts. BJP leaders claim the MUDA scam is worth between ₹4,000 crore and ₹5,000 crore.
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