Mandya (Karnataka): The combined opposition, BJP and JD(S), on Tuesday continued their protest march, demanding the resignation of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over the alleged Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment 'scam.' The week-long Bengaluru-Mysuru 'padayatre' (foot march) has sought to highlight the alleged fraudulent allotment of sites to land losers by MUDA, including to Siddaramaiah's wife Parvathi.
The fourth day of the 'Mysuru Chalo' protest began at Nidaghatta near here and is scheduled to cover a distance of 20 km to reach the district headquarters city of Mandya. BJP State President and MLA B Y Vijayendra, former Deputy Chief Minister C N Ashwath Narayan, Deputy Leader of Opposition in Assembly Arvind Bellad, several legislators, leaders and workers from both parties took part as the march resumed.
Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R Ashoka, JD(S) leader Nikhil Kumaraswamy, and former BJP national General Secretary and MLC C T Ravi were among other leaders who later joined the march. A large number of workers and leaders from both parties were seen marching shouting slogans against Siddaramaiah and the Congress government, holding BJP and JD(S) party flags and placards, amidst sounds of drum beat.
The stretch through which the march passed was decked up with flags of both parties, buntings and portraits of prominent leaders at several places. Kick started on Saturday at Kengeri near Bengaluru, the march on its first day had covered a distance of 16 km to reach Bidadi, 22 km on day two to reach Kengal, and 20 km on day three to reach Nidaghatta.
Addressing the gathering during the march at Maddur, Vijayendra said, as a result of this agitation, Siddaramaiah might have to resign at any moment. "Such a situation has been created. The Congress MLAs have lost trust in their leader and leaders are fighting to become CM...The CM will have to bow down to the voice of the people and resign."
The 'padayatre' is not being undertaken for the sake of power, he said, adding, "it is to remove the corrupt Congress government and the corrupt Chief Minister from power...do the people of the state need such a corrupt government and CM? can they do good for the state and its people. They have betrayed the people of the state."
Vijayendra further said, this government which came to power in "the name of Dalits, STs and backward classes," has completely forgotten them. Nikhil Kumaraswamy during his address urged the Congress national leader Rahul Gandhi to seek Siddaramaiah's resignation, if he has "morality left and is really concerned about the SC/ST and backward classes."
In the MUDA 'scam', it is alleged that compensatory sites were allotted to Siddaramaiah's wife Parvathi 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.
Under the controversial scheme, MUDA allotted 50 per cent of developed land to the land losers in lieu of undeveloped land acquired from them for forming residential layouts. BJP leaders have claimed that the MUDA "scam" is of the magnitude of Rs 4,000 crore to Rs 5,000 crore. The Congress government on July 14 constituted a single member inquiry commission under former High Court Judge Justice P N Desai to probe the MUDA 'scam'.
Based on a petition filed by advocate-activist T J Abraham, Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot had issued a "show-cause notice" on July 26 directing the Chief Minister to submit his reply to the allegations against him within seven days as to why permission for prosecution should not be granted against him.
Subsequently, the Karnataka government had "strongly advised" the Governor to withdraw his "show-cause notice" to the CM, and alleged "gross misuse of the Constitutional Office ' of the Governor. The council of Ministers after their meeting had said a concerted effort is being made to destabilise a lawfully elected majority government in Karnataka for political considerations.
