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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Unruly scenes witnessed in Punjab Assembly
Chandigarh (PTI): The Punjab Assembly on Friday witnessed high drama on Friday after Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira made an allegedly objectionable remark against Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann during an intense argument over the alleged use of mobile phone in the house by the legislator.
During the one-day special session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha here, Mann accused Khaira of using a mobile phone when Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan was reading out an official resolution on the revision of wages.
After rising from his seat, the chief minister pointed to the speaker, claiming that Khaira is busy on his mobile phone and urged him to ask the Congress MLA what Sandhwan had said about the resolution.
The speaker then asked Khaira to maintain order in the house and listen to the resolution carefully.
Mann then asked Khaira, "Why don't you go out and then use it (mobile phone)," which led to a strong verbal altercation during which the opposition MLA hurled an accusation against the chief minister. Meanwhile, the speaker appealed for order and insisted that the chair be addressed.
However, both Mann and Khaira continued arguing and could be seen pointing fingers at each other as the proceedings of the house were disrupted.
The AAP MLAs also rose from their seats with Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema condemning Khaira for his conduct and demanded action against him.
Cheema further alleged that Khaira "always tries to disturb the house" as he spoke about his conduct in the assembly.
The incident occurred as an official resolution on the revision of wages was presented at the special session by Labour Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond who said it paid homage to labourers on the International Workers' Day.
"Workers are the axis of construction of the nation, the community, the state and society. Every construction project succeeds only through their blood and sweat," the resolution read.
As per the resolution, "The base rate of minimum wages for the working class in Punjab was last revised in the year 2012. Although the dearness allowance has continued to increase since 2012, there has been no increase in the base rate of minimum wages.
On this sacred occasion of May Day, in this special session of the legislative assembly, this house proposes to revise and increase the minimum wages of labourers and strongly recommends to the government to take a decision regarding the increase of minimum wages for workers, so that the contributions of the workers can be acknowledged." PRK
