Complainant of MUDA 'scam' files caveat on Gov's prosecution sanction order against Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru: One of the complainants in the MUDA 'scam' case on Saturday filed a caveat in the Karnataka High Court after Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot granted permission to prosecute Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
It is alleged that the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) 'scam' pertains to the compensatory sites allotment to Siddaramaiah's wife Parvathi in an upmarket area in Mysuru, which had higher property value as compared to the location of her land which had been "acquired" by the MUDA.
The opposition cried foul and three activists lodged a complaint with Gehlot, accusing the CM of "misusing" his position.
Siddaramaiah has rejected the allegations and asserted that his wife deserved a fair compensation. He also called it a conspiracy against him to destabilise the Congress government by unseating him.
Governor Gehlot granted permission to prosecute Siddaramaiah on Saturday to investigate alleged site distribution and commission of offenses.
Siddaramaiah is expected to approach the high court to challenge or suspend the Governor's order. With the caveat now filed, the court will need to hear the arguments of the original complainant before reaching any conclusions, as per legal experts.
Following the filing of the caveat, Pradeep Kumar addressed the media and explained, "I filed the caveat because under the legal provisions, Siddaramaiah can approach the high court seeking relief. Without a caveat, he might receive relief without considering the other side of the argument. Thus, I have filed a caveat." The Karnataka government or CM Siddaramaiah has not yet taken any legal steps related to the sanction of prosecution.
Another complainant in the case, T J Abraham, said he would file the caveat on Monday.
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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.
