Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Oct 2: Under fire over alleged illegal allotment of compensatory land to his wife, a video becoming viral has added more trouble to the Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah.
The video showed a Congress worker removing his shoes while holding a national flag on the other hand as Mr Siddaramaiah arrived to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his birth anniversary on Wednesday. Meanwhile, another person at the scene took the flag from the worker’s hands as he continued with the task.
On Gandhi’s 155th birth anniversary, Siddaramaiah, who is currently under investigation by the Lokayukta police and Enforcement Directorate for the MUDA case, led a march with other Congress leaders, including Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, from Gandhi Bhavan to the Gandhi statue at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru.
Dressed in white to promote Gandhi’s philosophy, Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar were joined by other ministers, including state Law Minister HK Patil and Women and Child Development Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar. Carrying national flags and chanting slogans like “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “Vande Mataram,” numerous Congress workers participated in the march under tight security.
In response to the incident, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla condemned it on X, calling it an insult to the Tiranga. He shared a video of the Congress worker and questioned the respect for the Constitution, asking, “Is this Sanvidhan ka samman?” “Should Siddaramaiah still continue after becoming accused no 1? Where is Rahul Gandhi ? Is this Sanvidhan ka samman?.”
Karnataka BJP President BY Vijayendra criticised Siddaramaiah and called for an apology from him and the Congress party. “India, liberated from colonial rule, is now a leading nation in the world. For Congress, concepts like patriotism, the national flag, and national pride have always been seen as a waste of time,” Vijayendra stated in a post on X.
“Congress members, who have idolised colonialism, have treated the national flag as a mere symbol, akin to the chains of colonial rule, especially on Gandhi Jayanti. The fact that the Chief Minister has not only failed to condemn this but has instead encouraged such behaviour is an insult to the nation and the national flag,” he added.
Mr Siddaramaiah’s wife BM Parvathi offering to return the plots of land to the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) has earned him more criticism as his detractors viewed the MUDA officials initiating steps to cancel the land allocation as an attempt to destroy the evidence of corruption against the chief minister.
The JD(S) leader and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Wednesday questioned the MUDA’s decision to take back 14 plots allotted to Ms Parvathi and said it amounts to ”destruction of evidence” and demanded the Lokayukta police, which is probing into the case, arrest the MUDA commissioner for the decision. Mr Vijayendra too expressed surprise over MUDA Commissioner’s decision, and termed it “illegal.”
Kumaraswamy lashed out at the CM, accusing him of indulging in misuse of powers. ”In the High Court he has said the sites belong to (his family)…the court for public representatives (Special court) has ordered a Lokayukta probe. The property is under the court now…..how can they (CM family) say that they want to give back sites, whose sites are they. How can they give,” Kumaraswamy said.
Speaking to reporters, he said, “If there is transparency in the Lokayukta probe, they have to arrest the MUDA commissioner immediately. How does the MUDA commissioner have the powers to take back the sites? After hearing arguments the court has given its order, after that they (CM family) have played the drama of returning the sites. On what basis or under which powers have the sites been taken back.”
”How can the ’Khata’ (certification of ownership of property) be changed? The Chief Minister by misusing the Lokayukta officers is trying to cover up this case. Who all have influenced and put pressure on that officer (MUDA commissioner) to take back the sites? All these things need to be investigated,” he said. Calling the MUDA commissioner’s decision to take back 14 sites as “illegal,” Kumaraswamy said, it is in violation of court order and may lead to contempt of court.
On Monday, the Enforcement Directorate registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), equivalent to an FIR by police, against the CM over the alleged irregularities in allotment of 14 sites to his wife by the MUDA.
Hours later, the Chief Minister’s wife wrote to MUDA expressing her desire to surrender the sites allotted to her by the authority.
BJP leader Vijayendra questioned as to on what basis the MUDA commissioner cancelled the Khata. ”It has been done just on the basis of the CM’s wife’s letter despite the orders of the High Court and the Special Court.” MUDA official’s decision to cancel the Khata is illegal, and it cannot be done. ”It makes clear that officials are also involved.” Lokayukta police on September 27 registered an FIR against Siddaramaiah, his wife, brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy, Devaraju — from whom Mallikarjuna Swamy purchased land and gifted it to Parvathi — and others, following a Special Court order.
The order of the Special Court Judge, Santhosh Gajanan Bhat, came a day after the High Court upheld the sanction granted by the Governor to conduct an investigation against Siddaramaiah. It is alleged that Ms Parvathi had no legal title over this 3.16 acres of land at survey number 464 of Kasare village, Kasaba hobli of Mysuru taluk for which the compensatory land was allocated to her by MUDA.