The Muda scam is creating much furore in Karnataka politics. On the decision of Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to grant permission for questioning Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on the matter, the Congress has termed it as a conspiracy and has opposed it vehemently. On the other hand, protests and demonstrations have been launched by Karnataka Congress leaders. On Monday, CM Siddaramaiah took the matter to the High Court.
It is expected that the challenge in the High Court by CM Siddaramaiah to the orders of Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot will likely be heard tomorrow or the day after. Senior advocates Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Kapil Sibal are expected to reach Bengaluru by evening, following prompt action by the Congress high command in this matter. They will meet CM Siddaramaiah and argue his case in court.
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The controversy is related to a piece of land belonging to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife, Parvathamma, which was previously acquired for Mysore city development projects. The Chief Minister’s wife was allotted land in the Vijayanagar area of Mysore in return. However, the BJP and JD(S) have claimed that on the Chief Minister’s directions, MUDA officials have provided her high-value land. Thereafter, three social activists complained to the Governor, who, in turn, issued a show-cause notice to the Chief Minister, seeking an explanation as to why an investigation shouldn’t be ordered. The Governor finally granted permission for the inquiry two days ago.
Congress leaders wondered at the amount of pressure on the Governor and his acting solely on the complaint of the social activists. They add a clear political hue to it, saying that BJP and JD(S) have hatched a plot to malign Siddaramaiah’s regime. They suspect that a plot of this nature must have been prepared to defame Siddaramaiah amid the recent drubbing received by JD(S) in the Mysore region in the Assembly elections, where Siddaramaiah has his strong following.
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Already, three months back, after the Lok Sabha elections, JD(S) was thrown into a crisis when former MP Prajwal Revanna got embroiled in a sexual harassment case. The Siddaramaiah government acted swiftly and the former MP landed up in jail. Congress leaders in Karnataka are of the view that JD(S), smarting from the incident, has plotted a strategy to take revenge on CM Siddaramaiah.
The Mysore region is a JD(S) stronghold, and they lost in the Assembly elections, while Siddaramaiah continued to hold sway here. Congress leaders have been terming this controversy as a part of JD(S) conspiracy to defame Siddaramaiah. On the face of it, politics in Karnataka appears to be a Siddaramaiah versus JD(S) battle.
