The BJP on Saturday welcomed the decision of Karnataka Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot to sanction the prosecution of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of Karnataka in connection with the Mysore Urban Development Authority land scam.
At a press conference at the BJP National Headquarters, party spokesperson Sambit Patra charged Siddaramaiah with a Rs 4000 crore scam relating to MUDA and said that his acts are no different from that of the Gandhi family. He drew a parallel between the Gandhi family's alleged involvement in the Rs 5000 crore National Herald case, where Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are out on bail. He criticised Siddaramaiah for allegedly toeing a similar line.
Patra turned to the recent parliamentary sessions and said that Opposition leaders had protested while holding the Constitution, and criticised why the same attention was not given to the issues in West Bengal and Karnataka. "We have seen how the Constitution is being shattered both in West Bengal and in Karnataka," he said.
Elaborating, he said that the Governor had sanctioned the prosecution of Siddaramaiah for the MUDA land scam, following its exposure, at the request of members of civil society. Not satisfied with the state government's response, the Governor decided to sanction the prosecution.
He thanked the Karnataka Governor for the permission to prosecute, which he contrasted with several such cases that were allegedly shut down due to political considerations in the past under Manmohan Singh's tenure. He drew a difference between the situation that prevailed in Karnataka and the way cases of this nature were handled during the UPA regime.
Coming to the details of the scam, Patra accused associates of Siddaramaiah of involvement. He referred to a case in 2004 where Siddaramaiah's wife Parvati's brother had purchased about 3.61 acres of land in Kesari village, which was later sold to Parvati in 2005. Patra said that the transaction was illegal since it involved sale of Dalit-owned land and claimed that MUDA had, in lieu of this land, later allotted 14 plots to Parvati.
He also came down heavily on the Congress party's reaction to the Governor's decision. More specifically, he attacked Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's visit to Bengaluru to protest against the governor. He asked whether the Congress leaders would do the same in matters concerning West Bengal as readily.
"Today, I am wearing a black band, as I come from a doctor fraternity. So, I want to ask Mallikarjun Kharge to save the corrupt, you reached Bengaluru. Will you also go to West Bengal? Will Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi go to West Bengal, or will they all go to Bengaluru to save corrupt Siddaramaiah?" he posed.
