CM Siddaramaiah meets Governor who sought report on MUDA 'scam'
Bengaluru, Jul 24: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday met Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot and held discussions, official sources said.
The meeting gains significance following the Governor recently seeking a detailed report from the Chief Secretary regarding alleged fraudulent allotment of sites to land losers by Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA), which involves plots given to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's wife Parvathi.
However, an official said the Chief Minister met the Governor to discuss pending bills.
The meeting came on a day when the issue rocked both Karnataka Legislative Assembly and Council.
Opposition BJP on Wednesday announced that it would stage "day-and-night" dharna in both Legislative Assembly and Council over not allowing discussion on the scam.
The government on July 14 constituted a single member inquiry commission under former High Court Judge Justice P N Desai to probe the charges.
The judicial inquiry into illegalities in MUDA will cover the period between 2006 and July 15, 2024, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil on Wednesday told the Assembly highlighting the terms of reference for the inquiry commission.
Terms of reference for the inquiry commission have also been given, and it has been asked to complete the probe in six months and submit a report.
Patil said, "the inquiry will look into -- How many layouts were formed by MUDA; How much land was used to form layouts without land acquisition and by denotification; How were landowners compensated for their land that was used without acquisition or by denotification; Was such compensation in accordance with law"
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'One nation, one election' not possible under present Constitution: P Chidambaram
Chandigarh, Sep 16: Congress leader P Chidambaram on Monday lashed out at the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre over the 'one nation, one election' issue, saying it is not possible under the present Constitution and requires at least five constitutional amendments.
Replying to a question on reports that the BJP-led NDA government would implement 'one nation, one election' within its current tenure, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not have the numbers to place those constitutional amendments either in the Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha.
In his Independence Day address last month, the prime minister made a strong pitch for 'one nation, one election', contending that frequent polls were creating hurdles in the country's progress.
Addressing reporters here, Chidambaram said, "'One nation, one election' is not possible under the present Constitution. It requires at least five constitutional amendments."
"Mr Modi does not have the majority to put those constitutional amendments in either in the Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha," the former Union minister said.
He asserted that there were greater constitutional obstacles to 'one nation, one election'. "It is not possible. The INDIA bloc is totally opposed to 'One Nation, One Election."
To a question on PM Modi recently alleging that the Congress wanted to end reservation, Chidambaram rejected the charge. "Why should we abolish reservation?" he asked rhetorically.
"We are the ones who are saying that the reservation ceiling of 50 per cent must be removed. We are the ones who are asking for a caste census. We are saying reservation must be according to the population. Do not believe everything the prime minister says," he told the reporters.
At a rally in Kurukshetra on September 15, Prime Minister Modi had lashed out at the Congress, alleging its "royal family" intended to end reservation for Dalits and asserted that as long as he was there, he would not let even a fraction of reservation given by B R Ambedkar be looted or removed.
At the media interaction here on Monday Chidambaram was asked if the Congress would announce its chief ministerial face for the October 5 Haryana assembly polls. He said that normally, the Congress does not announce a CM candidate before the polls.
"The practice is that elections take place, MLAs gather and their preferences are asked. Then the high command announces who will be the chief minister. I think the same practice will be followed in Haryana," he said.
The senior Congress leader hit out at the BJP government in the state over several issues, including unemployment, agriculture and state debt.
He appealed to the people to vote for the Congress in the Assembly elections and promised that his party would bring back Haryana's growth rate, give a fillip to development, agriculture, and industry, and tackle issues of unemployment and inflation.
"The BJP boasts of a double-engine government. One engine is without fuel and the other is completely broken down. What is the use of such a double-engine government? The time has come to junk the two engines," Chidambaram said.
