Lokayukta Police registers FIR against Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah in MUDA case
The Lokayukta Police on Friday registered an FIR against Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah in the MUDA site allotment case
The Lokayukta Police on Friday registered an FIR against Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment case, PTI reported.
The move comes days after a special court in Bengaluru ordered directing the Lokayukta to carry out a probe against Siddaramaiah on allegation of illegalities in allotment of 14 sites worth ₹56 crore to the chief minister's wife Parvathi by MUDA.
The special court exclusively to deal with criminal cases related to former and elected MPs/MLAs had issued the order directing the Lokayukta police in Mysuru to initiate an investigation on the complaint filed by RTI activist Snehamayi Krishna.
The order came after Karnataka high court upheld Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot's sanction to investigate Siddaramaiah in the case.
The single judge high court bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna on September 24 said in normal circumstances, a governor has to act on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers under Article 163 of the Constitution of India, "but (the Governor) can take independent decisions in exceptional circumstances, and the present case projects one such exception" and dismissed Siddaramaiah's petition.
Sidddaramaiah says won't resign
Siddaramaiah remains unfazed as he reiterated on Friday that he will not resign as chief minister.
“I have done no wrong. This is for the first time a political case is being registered against me. This is a political case, please underline,” PTI quoted the Congress veteran as saying.
On being asked about BJP's protest demanding his resignation, Siddaramaiah said,"Why should I resign? If one has committed wrong he has to resign, when we are saying that no wrong was done, where is the question of resigning?"
Amid the MUDA case row, the Karnataka government on Thursday withdrew general consent given to CBI to investigate cases in the state as it alleged that the federal agency was "biased".
Slamming the move, BJP hit out at the Congress government and called it the response of a “professional thief and corrupt party”.
“Thousands of crores have been usurped in the MUDA scam. After this, the Congress has done what is expected from any certified 'chor and lootera' (thief and robber). To evade the long hand of law, it has withdrawn the general consent given to the CBI to investigate in the state,” BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said.
(With agency inputs)
