Mandya (Karnataka): The combined Opposition, BJP and JD(S), on Friday continued their protest march, demanding the resignation of 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 seventh day of the ‘Mysuru Chalo’ protest march began at Srirangapatna in Mandya district, and is scheduled to cover a distance of 10 km. This even as the Congress is hosting a mega “Janandolana” convention at Maharaja’s College Grounds in Mysuru today in support of Siddaramaiah and to counter the opposition’s allegations and their foot 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.
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.
