BJP''s charges against CM are part of conspiracy against Cong govt., says Deputy CM Shivakumar
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Friday charged the BJP with levelling allegations against the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in connection with the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment "scam" as part of its "conspiracy" against the Congress government.
“Karnataka is the biggest state for the Congress party. The BJP had never thought that the Congress would win here. So they are hatching a conspiracy against the government," Shivakumar, also the State Congress chief, told reporters here.
The BJP, along with its NDA ally the JD(S), has proposed to take out next week a "Padayatra" (foot march) from here to Mysuru, to press for the resignation of the Chief Minister over the alleged scam.
"Let them do whatever they want, let them take out as many marches as possible. We will also plan how to counter their campaign,” Shivakumar said.
The opposition BJP and JD(S) have alleged that the MUDA allotted to Chief Minister's wife Parvathi 14 sites whose value was much higher than 3.16 acres of her land which was "acquired" by it to form a residential layout.
Denying any wrongdoing, Siddaramaiah had said these sites were allotted in 2021 when the BJP was in power, adding, his wife had never demanded plots in any particular area.
The Chief Minister had maintained that the MUDA had encroached on his wife’s property. When he brought the matter to the notice of MUDA officials, they allotted alternative sites in lieu of the illegal acquisition of their land.
Shivakumar maintained that Siddaramaiah had not asked for sites in specific areas.
“Several people (land losers) have got alternative sites. I will not dwell into the way others obtained the alternative sites. Minister concerned will explain it and I am also gathering information. When the Chief Minister raised it, MUDA offered him alternative land. Whatever happened was within the framework of law,” the Deputy Chief Minister said.
According to him, the MUDA site allotment issue had appeared in the media three years ago but it has been raked up now only to tarnish the image of the Chief Minister.
Shivakumar alleged that the BJP was "copying the Congress concept of 'Padayatra’." “We have a patent over Padayatra. It was started by Mahatma Gandhi. We carried out ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ (Unite India March). Now the BJP wants to make use of it,” he said.
“The BJP is ‘Sardar (head) of corruption’. They want to expose the scam. Let them do it. We will also lay bare the entire scam,” he said.
Shivakumar said the BJP raising the pitch on the MUDA issue was a ‘publicity stunt’.
He added that the BJP will "fall into the pit it has dug for others" by taking out the march.
He claimed that the MUDA scam had taken place during the previous BJP government. “Now the BJP leaders have decided to take out a march. We also will expose their scam explaining who got how many sites."
BJP leaders have claimed that the MUDA "scam" is of the magnitude of Rs 4000 crore to Rs 5,000 crore.
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PM Modi meets Dutch royals in Netherlands, discusses cooperation in technology, innovation
The Hague (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday met King of the Netherlands Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima at the Royal Palace and discussed close cooperation in digital technology, innovation, fintech and blue economy.
Modi arrived in the Netherlands on Friday - after a brief stopover in the UAE - on the second leg of his five-nation tour that also includes Sweden, Norway and Italy.
"Met His Majesty King Willem-Alexander and Her Majesty Queen Máxima at the Royal Palace. It was wonderful exchanging perspectives on boosting India-Netherlands friendship across key sectors like technology, innovation, sustainable growth, commerce and water resources," PM Modi posted on X after the meeting.
Modi said that India and the Netherlands are "connected by shared interests and a shared belief in building a future-ready planet."
"They discussed the growing partnership between India and the Netherlands," the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal posted on X.
"Both sides noted the close cooperation in the areas of sustainability, climate action, digital technology, innovation, fintech and blue economy," he added.
The two sides also expressed commitment towards further strengthening India–Netherlands relations.
Earlier in the day, Modi addressed a gathering of the Indian diaspora in The Hague where he called India a “land of opportunities” undergoing an “unprecedented transformation”.
The PM's visit to the European nation from May 15 to 17 is his second trip to the country after his 2017 visit and comes at what officials described as an "important juncture" in India-Netherlands ties.
India and the Netherlands have significantly expanded cooperation in recent years beyond traditional sectors such as trade, investment and the priority areas of water, agriculture and health.
The partnership has grown in strategic sectors, including technology, innovation, defence, security, semiconductors, renewable energy, education and the maritime domain, the MEA said.
The Netherlands is one of India’s largest trade destinations in Europe, with bilateral trade valued at USD 27.8 billion in 2024-25. It is also India’s fourth-largest investor, with cumulative foreign direct investment amounting to USD 55.6 billion, officials said.
People-to-people ties remain a key pillar of the bilateral relationship.
Later on Saturday, Modi is scheduled to meet his Dutch counterpart Rob Jetten.
