In a development that could pose challenges for Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Saturday granted permission to prosecute the Chief Minister in connection with the alleged Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam, according to sources from Raj Bhavan. In response, the Karnataka government announced its intention to challenge the governor’s decision by filing a petition in the High Court.
An order issued by the Karnataka Governor’s Secretariat on August 17 stated, “As directed by the Hon’ble Governor, I am enclosing a copy of the decision of the Competent Authority regarding the request for sanction to prosecute Chief Minister Shri Siddaramaiah under Section 17 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and Section 218 of the Bharathiya Nagarika Suraksha Samhitha, 2023, for the alleged offences mentioned in the petitions.”
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also reacted to the development saying that the whole Cabinet is with him. “The entire Cabinet, party high command, all MLAs, MLCs, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs are with me…,” he said. The Karnataka government has said they will challenge the Governor’s action in the High Court.
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar today said that the state government will put all their weight behind Siddaramaiah. “We stand with CM Siddaramaiah. The party, the high command the entire state and the Cabinet stand with him. We will fight it legally and we will fight it politically as well… Whatever notice and sanction has been given is against the law. We have made all our preparations to fight it legally, this is nothing but a clear conspiracy against backwards-class CM Siddaramaiah who is running the government for the second time.”
A complaint was previously filed by social activist Snehamayi Krishna against Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and nine others, alleging that they forged documents to claim compensation from the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA). Responding to these allegations earlier this month, CM Siddaramaiah stated, “In the MUDA case, everything was done according to the law. I have not exerted any influence on the allotment of the plot. My wife was given a replacement plot in 2021 during the BJP government’s tenure, in accordance with the law.”
The complaint accuses Siddaramaiah, his wife Parvathy, and his brother-in-law Malikarjuna Swamy Devaraj, who claimed to be a landowner, of wrongdoing. It further alleges that MUDA created fake documents to obtain plots worth crores of rupees. Snehamayi Krishna’s complaint raises several questions regarding these transactions.
The BJP has demanded that the land given to the CM’s family be returned, accusing Siddaramaiah of seizing lands that belonged to the Dalit community.