The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday questioned the credibility of the Lokayukta’s investigation into the MUDA scam following media reports that the Lokayukta’s police wing has given a clean chit to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his family.
Siddaramaiah, his wife Parvati BM and their relative Mallikarjuna Swamy are accused in the MUDA-related case. The case was registered by the Lokayukta police on the instructions of a special court in Bengaluru.
Sharing a news item published in a Kannada newspaper titled ‘MUDA case: Clean chit to Siddaramaiah’, Leader of Opposition in Karnataka Assembly R Ashok said the Lokayukta inquiry is a sham and the report submitted by him is only a report to protect Siddaramaiah.
He said, “This is not the Lokayukta report, but ‘Save Siddaramaiah Report’.”
He posted on ‘X’ that Siddaramaiah, who weakened the Lokayukta institution in his first term, was later reprimanded by the High Court and now he has made the Lokayukta institution his puppet in the second term.
Citing the news, BJP state president BY Vijayendra also criticized the Lokayukta police.
He wrote on ‘X’, “The High Court has not yet given its verdict on the MUDA case, but in the meantime a report has come out that the Lokayukta has given a clean chit to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. This clean chit was given under pressure from the Chief Minister.
He said, “No investigating agency gives information without any basis. The Lokayukta hastily gave a clean chit to Siddaramaiah soon after the Enforcement Directorate submitted the report with evidence in the MUDA case.
The allegation in the MUDA case is that in return for three acres and 16 guntas of land acquired by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) in a remote village, Parvathi was given 14 plots in an upscale area of Mysuru. One acre is equal to 40 guntas.
The Chief Minister said on Thursday that he was not aware of the ‘clean chit’ given by the Lokayukta Police. “I have no knowledge about this,” Siddaramaiah told reporters in Raichur. How can I say anything on a matter about which I have no knowledge?
On the complaint of social activist Snehamoyi Krishna, the special court had directed the Lokayukta police to investigate the matter.
Earlier, the High Court had refused to entertain Siddaramaiah’s plea seeking quashing of the proceedings against him in the special court for people’s representatives.
Meanwhile, top officials of the Lokayukta police told PTI that the final report is not ready yet and it is too early to say that the Lokayukta has given a clean chit.
