MUDA land scam: BJP-JD(S) leaders have no moral right to seek my resignation, says CM Siddaramaiah
Mysuru (Karnataka), Aug 9: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday slammed the opposition BJP-JD(S) for their "Mysuru Chalo" march over an alleged land scam, saying none of their leaders have a moral right to question him and asked people to drive the "Manuvadis" out.
A day prior to the culmination of the "Mysuru Chalo" campaign, the march from Bengaluru to Mysuru demanding the chief minister's resignation alleging that his wife had benefited from an alternative site scam in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA), Siddaramaiah hit out at the opposition in a major showdown in his hometown.
The opposition has alleged that Siddaramaiah’s wife Parvathi got alternative plots in the upmarket against the 'acquisition' of 3 acres 16 guntas of land in a remote part of the city.
Speaking at the mega "Janandolana" convention at Maharaja's College Grounds here to counter the opposition's allegations and their foot march, Siddaramaiah said, "August 9 happens to be the anniversary of the historic Quit India movement to drive out the British from India."
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"Today we have to drive out communal, casteist and feudal people. We have to oppose and condemn the Manuvadis, casteists and feudal lords who are unable to tolerate backward and exploited people. Hence, this event (Janandolana)."
He alleged former Congress CMs Devaraj Urs, S Bangarappa and M Veerapa Moily were forced to step down since they came from backward communities.
The chief minister also alleged that former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda and his son and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy backtracked from their promise given to former CM N Dharam Singh to run a Congress-JD(S) coalition government in 2006 and shook hands with "communal" BJP to throw him out of power.
The BJP and the JD(S) have no moral right to question him since their leaders were involved in scams, Siddaramaiah said.
The chief minister sought to know what moral right, the leader of the opposition in the Karnataka Assembly, R Ashoka, former chief minister B S Yediyurappa, his son and BJP state president B Y Vijayendra, besides Kumaraswamy, have to seek his resignation.
"If Yediyurappa has any shame, he should have retired from politics. He is 82 years old. He is an accused in a POCSO Act case in which charge sheet had been filed. He is asking me to resign by August 10. What moral right does he have? Did he do just one or two scams? He was caught in 18 to 20 scams," Siddaramaiah said.
Alleging that Vijayendra was also caught in several scams, the chief minister reminded that BJP’s Vijayapura MLA Yatnal had also said that Vijayendra had looted several thousands of crores of rupees.
"Kumaraswamy, what moral right do you have? Have you forgotten the Jantakal mining case? You gave renewal to 20 companies. You have any shame to seek my resignation?” Siddaramaiah asked.
He also hit out at Ashoka, saying that as the land grant committee chairperson, he gave away 2,200 acres of land in BM Kaval in Bengaluru.
"These people have to reply now. I never pursued the politics of hatred and vendetta. If I was like that then such a situation would not have arisen in the first place. They would have gone to jail," the chief minister charged.
Siddaramaiah alleged that the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre, Kumaraswamy, Yediyurappa, Vijayendra and Ashoka were involved in a conspiracy to remove him.
He termed the complainant of the MUDA scam, T J Abraham, as a person who has no credibility.
"Who is this Abraham? The SC has slapped a penalty of Rs 25 lakh (on him in the past). A charge sheet has been filed against him on a complaint by a KAS officer, Dr Sudha, that he was blackmailing her," the chief minister said.
The charge sheet was filed against Abraham on August 5, 10 days after the Governor issued a show-cause notice to Siddaramaiah asking him why permission should not be given to prosecute him in the MUDA scam.
The show of strength saw all the Congress top guns from Karnataka, including general secretary (Karnataka) in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala, state Congress president and deputy CM D K Shivakumar, ministers and MLAs rallying behind Siddaramaiah.
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Sheena Bora case: Indrani Mukerjea moves SC, seeks permission to travel abroad
New Delhi, Nov 26: Former media executive Indrani Mukerjea, accused of killing her daughter Sheena Bora, has moved the Supreme Court challenging the Bombay High Court ruling denying her to travel abroad.
A special court on July 19 allowed Mukerjea's plea to travel to Spain and the UK for 10 days between intermittent periods over the next three months.
The CBI approached the high court challenging the order passed by the special court but the high court quashed the special court order on September 27.
Mukerjea has now moved the apex court challenging the high court's verdict.
In her plea filed in the top court through advocate Sana Raees Khan, Mukerjea said she was a British citizen, and sought permission to visit Spain and her home country for "making necessary changes and amendments and taking care of pending work which cannot be transacted without her personal presence".
She argued the activation of a digital certificate was a must for all relevant work and administration in Spain and her physical presence was mandatory.
In its verdict, the high court noted Mukerjea wanted to travel abroad on the ground that she was a British national and was required to execute documents regarding her bank account and perform other work in Spain and the UK.
While setting aside the special court's order, the high court said if Mukerjea wished to perform these works from India, the statutory authorities back home would extend her the necessary support with the assistance of Embassy of Spain and the UK.
Mukerjea was arrested in August 2015 after the murder of Bora came to light. In May 2022, she was granted bail by the Supreme Court.
She has denied the allegations.
Bora (24) was allegedly strangled to death in a car by Mukerjea, her then-driver Shyamvar Rai and former husband Sanjeev Khanna in April 2012 in Mumbai. Her body was then burnt in a forest in the neighbouring Raigad district, according to the prosecution.
Bora was Mukerjea's daughter from her previous relationship.
The killing came to light in 2015 when Rai reportedly revealed about it during interrogation by police after his arrest in a separate case registered under the Arms Act.
Mukerjea's ex-husband Peter Mukerjea was also arrested for allegedly being a part of the conspiracy linked to the murder, probed by the CBI.
All the accused are currently out on bail.
