Siddaramaiah dares PM Modi to name one BJP leader in Karnataka without corruption charges
Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has issued an open challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to engage in a direct discussion on corruption. This comes in response to allegations made by the Prime Minister during a rally, where he accused Siddaramaiah of involvement in a land scam related to the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA).
Siddaramaiah, in a strongly worded response, accused the BJP of orchestrating a conspiracy against him and questioned PM Modi's right to speak on corruption. He pointed out that several BJP leaders in Karnataka have faced corruption charges, yet remain in the party without any repercussions. "Prime Minister @NarendraModi, who is accused by his own party leaders of auctioning off the Chief Minister's post for Rs 2,500 crore, has no moral right to speak about corruption!" Siddaramaiah wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday.
The controversy began after PM Modi, during a rally in Sonipat, Haryana, brought up the MUDA scam and accused the Congress of misappropriating funds meant for Dalits, calling the party "the most corrupt in the nation." The Karnataka High Court had recently upheld investigation orders into the scam, which prompted Modi's remarks.
In response, Siddaramaiah criticized the BJP's approach to corruption, accusing the party of practicing "washing machine politics," where opposition leaders facing corruption charges are allegedly cleansed of their past once they join the BJP. "Mr. Modi, I'm glad you're finally addressing corruption. But the people of Karnataka know who the real culprits are. If you're ready for a direct debate, I'm always ready," he stated.
Siddaramaiah further highlighted that over 25 opposition leaders accused of corruption have joined the BJP since 2014, with 23 of them being cleared by central agencies afterward. He questioned the integrity of such actions, referencing several prominent leaders like Himanta Biswa Sarma, Suvendu Adhikari, and Ajit Pawar, who joined the BJP and were allegedly absolved of their charges.
The Chief Minister's remarks came shortly after a special court directed the Karnataka Lokayukta to investigate Siddaramaiah regarding alleged irregularities in the MUDA scam. The case involves accusations that compensatory plots were allocated to Siddaramaiah's wife, BM Parvathi, in a prime area of Mysuru, where the land's value was significantly higher than that acquired by MUDA. Under a 50:50 scheme, MUDA had granted plots to Parvathi in exchange for 3.16 acres of her land, where a residential layout was later developed.
Siddaramaiah also took a jab at the BJP's inclusion of leaders like HD Kumaraswamy in the Union Cabinet despite serious corruption allegations. He questioned the silence of the Honorable Governor on the Lokayukta’s request to prosecute Kumaraswamy, asking, "Why is the Governor ignoring this request? Who is putting pressure on him, Mr. Modi?"
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Nana Patole resigns as Maharashtra Congress chief following assembly election setback
Mumbai: Nana Patole has stepped down as the President of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee, days after the party faced a severe defeat in the state assembly elections.
The party’s poor performance in the elections had raised concerns about its leadership and strategy in the state.
The Congress, which contested 101 seats as part of the MVA, posted its worst-ever defeat by managing to win only 16 seats.
