MUDA 'scam': CM Siddaramaiah claims conspiracy as he belongs to backward class
Mysuru (Karnataka), Jul 11: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday alleged that he was unnecessarily being targeted in the case of alleged fraudulent allotment of sites to land losers by Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA), which involves plots given to his wife Parvathi.
Claiming that a conspiracy is being hatched against him out of heartburn as he belongs to a backward class community and has become the chief minister for a second time, he asserted that he won't fear such conspiracies.
The chief minister was reacting to BJP state president B Y Vijayendra announcing a "mega" protest in Mysuru -- Siddaramaiah's home district -- on July 12 in connection with the alleged "scam".
"Haven't we given it (MUDA scam) for a probe.....BJP is doing things for politics, we will have to do politics if they do politics. Let them do it (protest) under anyone's leadership, let them do it under J P Nadda (BJP national president) leadership. If they do it, we will also do it politically. Can only they do politics? We also know how to counter it politically," Siddaramaiah told reporters here.
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To a question about the BJP trying to target him over sites allotted to his wife, the CM said, "They have to say where it is illegal. We are saying that things are legal. Let them show that it is illegal."
"Unnecessarily (I'm being targeted) for the sake of politics. They are doing it for the sake of politics as they couldn't find anything against me. As Siddaramaiah, who is from the backward class, has become the chief minister for the second time, people are having heartburn, so conspiracy is being hatched. Will I fear for such conspiracies?" he asked.
It is alleged that compensatory sites were allotted to Siddaramaiah's wife 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 MUDA had allotted plots to Parvathi under a 50:50 ratio scheme in lieu of 3.16 acres of her land, where MUDA developed a residential layout.
The controversial scheme envisages allotting 50 per cent of developed land to the land loser in lieu of undeveloped land acquired for forming layouts.
Stating that he will ensure there is "cleanup" in MUDA, which has been "rotten" for some time now, even during the BJP rule, the chief minister in response to a question said, inquiry will be done regarding alleged irregularities that have happened there.
"My family's case is not a scandal, our case is different from others. In our case, our land was illegally taken over and used by MUDA for making a layout," he said.
Noting that in 2014, the MUDA, despite the 3.16 acres of his wife's land not belonging to it, made sites on it and allocated them to people, Siddaramaiah said, "what should we do? Should we keep quiet? Alternate sites were sought by us, but we did not seek them in any specific locality -- Vijayanagara."
Noting that the BJP was in power when alternate sites were allocated, the CM said, "who should be responsible? It is they who gave alternate sites in the locality (Vijayanagara). We did not ask for it (in Vijayanagara). We only asked for alternate sites to be given to us in lieu of our land that was taken over by MUDA."
"If MUDA committed the wrong when BJP was in power, how can Siddaramaiah be responsible for it?" he questioned.
As per the land acquisition act, his family is entitled to compensation from MUDA for taking over the land, Siddaramaiah said. "MUDA will have to pay Rs 62 crore (as compensation). Let them take back the alternate sites allotted. We had not asked for it in Vijayanagar...it was done while BJP was in power," he said.
To a question about activist T J Abraham filing a complaint with the Election Commission against him alleging that he had failed to disclose his wife Parvathi's ownership of 3 acres and 16 guntas land in his election affidavit, Siddaramaiah said, "If the Election Commission gives notice, I will respond to it. Will give whatever answer has to be given in accordance with law."
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Confident we are going to win Kerala: Shashi Tharoor
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Thursday expressed confidence in the victory of the United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala, saying the Congress-led alliance will win more than 75 seats out of the total 140 in the state.
Tharoor, who hails from Kerala, said he was not surprised to see the results of the exit polls, most of which predicted a victory for the UDF that has been out of power for 10 years in the state.
"We have been on the ground. I have campaigned in 59 constituencies across 12 districts out of 14. I was very confident we are going to win.
"Everything that I have picked up from not just my party colleagues and workers but also from other observers, media and others have always convinced me that we were going to score a comfortable win of above 75 seats. And all the (exit) polls have confirmed the same thing," he told reporters here.
The Thiruvananthapuram MP said he was not surprised to see the results of the exit polls but in general he was not a big fan of exit polls in India.
"Because ours is not purely a homogenous society. We have to take into account gender issue, caste issue, class issue, regional disparities. You never get a convincingly large enough sample to give an accurate poll and now there is the additional complication that we have heard about in West Bengal this year that many people are unwilling to answer the questions of the pollsters," he said.
The Congress leader said normally, it used to be below 10 per cent that people said that they would not answer.
"Even if you are a reputable exit pollster, in Bengal, one polling company has said 60 per cent of people refused to answer. So, what is the worth of a poll where 60 per cent of your respondents have not answered," he said.
Several exit polls on Wednesday predicted a comeback by the Congress-led UDF in Kerala after 10 years, dethroning the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF).
Polling for the 140-member Kerala assembly was held on April 9. Results of assembly elections in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Puducherry, besides Kerala, will be announced on May 4.
