BJP seeks Siddaramaiah's resignation for impartial probe against him in MUDA 'scam'
New Delhi (PTI): The BJP on Saturday asked Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to step down from his post to ensure an impartial probe into his alleged role in the MUDA site allotment "scam" as it welcomed the governor's decision to sanction his prosecution in the case.
BJP MPs Sambit Patra and Tejasvi Surya, at a press conference, rejected the Congress' allegation that Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot's decision was motivated by politics and claimed that it was a serious case of corruption involving Siddaramaiah and his family.
Taking a swipe at Mallikarjun Kharge, Patra said the Congress president went to Bengaluru to "protect" the Karnataka chief minister and wondered when will he go to Kolkata which is witnessing massive protests against the alleged rape and murder of a trainee woman doctor at a West Bengal government-run medical college and hospital.
Surya said the Karnataka government has constituted two commissions, one headed by an ex-IAS officer and another by a former high court judge, to look into the allegations of corruption.
It was an acknowledgement of irregularity, said the BJP MP from Bangalore South Lok Sabha constituency.
In the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) 'scam', it is alleged that compensatory sites were allotted to Siddaramaiah's wife Parvathi in an upmarket area in Mysuru that had higher property value as compared to the location of her land which had been "acquired" by MUDA.
MUDA had allotted plots to Parvathi under a 50:50 ratio scheme in lieu of 3.16 acres of her land, where MUDA developed a residential layout.
Giving details of the alleged scam, Surya claimed the Karnataka chief minister's wife was allocated 14 prime upmarket sites in Mysuru in compensation for a parcel of rural land which was first bought by their son-in-law from its original owner and then gifted to her.
Siddaramaiah was first a deputy chief minister and then chief minister when decisions were taken related to the land, while his son was a member of the Mysuru body which made the allotment, he claimed.
Surya said any state probe agency reporting to the chief minister is unlikely to carry out a fair probe into the matter as he demanded Siddaramaiah's resignation.
It is a scam like the National Heard case and the suspected hanky-panky in the allotment of land to Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra, he alleged.
Patra claimed that the entire "scam" runs into Rs 4,000 crore, adding mockingly that Congress leaders do not commit any scam less thousands of crore.
The alleged National Herald scam in which Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are the main accused is worth Rs 5,000 crore, he said.
Governors used to sit over such files due to political compulsions but the corrupt will not be spared under the government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Patra said.
Karnataka Governor Gehlot on Saturday granted sanction for the prosecution of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in connection with the MUDA site allotment "scam".
Siddaramaiah has repeatedly said that the Congress government led by him is ready to fight legally and politically, in case the Governor rejects the Cabinet's advice to withdraw the "show cause notice" to him, and grants permission for prosecution.
Based on a petition filed by advocate-activist T J Abraham, Gehlot had issued a "show cause 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.
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Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
