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Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Sunday that he would neither resign nor “bend his ways” for anyone as long as he had “people’s support”, amid the Opposition’s calls for his resignation after a case was registered against him in an alleged scam linked to the land allocation by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA).
The state anti-corruption body registered a case against Siddaramaiah in connection with the MUDA land scam on September 27, following the Karnataka High Court’s order directing the Lokayukta police to probe the allegations that his wife was allocated premium properties by the MUDA in violation of norms.
Addressing an event in Mysuru after inaugurating several developmental projects, Siddaramaiah said, “I will not resign or bend for anyone. Mahatma Gandhi had said that there are courts and then there is conscience, which is above all courts. Conscience is the apex court. “My conscience is clear, and as long as I have the people’s support, I will not be shaken.”
He further said that he won’t be “scared or intimidated” by political challenges. He added that he had confidence in his ability to face and overcome any hurdles, both legally and politically, even if his opponents tried to cause trouble for a few months.
The Mysuru development body allegedly acquired a parcel of land owned by Siddaramaiah’s wife, Parvathi, and compensated her with higher-value plots. The BJP-led opposition and some activists have accused Siddaramaiah and Parvathi of benefiting from this “illegal” compensatory land deal, estimating the alleged irregularities to be worth Rs 4,000 crore.
In August, Karnataka Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot granted permission to prosecute the Chief Minister. Earlier this month, the Karnataka High Court upheld the Governor’s sanction.
Subsequently, the Special Court for criminal cases involving former and current MPs/MLAs directed the Lokayukta police in Mysuru to investigate a complaint filed by RTI activist Snehamayi Krishna.
The complaint accuses Siddaramaiah’s wife of being allotted compensatory plots in a prime Mysuru area with higher property values compared to her land acquired by the MUDA. Under MUDA’s 50:50 ratio scheme, Parvathi was allocated plots in exchange for 3.16 acres of land. However, it is also alleged that she had no legal title to the 3.16 acres in Kasare village in Mysuru.
However, Siddaramaiah has rejected these allegations, claiming that the land deal was completed as per mandates and there were no irregularities.
