'Lokayukta report on MUDA scam manipulated for CM Siddaramaiah's convenience': Kumaraswamy

Mysuru: Accusing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of orchestrating the Lokayukta report to suit his convenience, Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Monday took a jibe at the Lokayukta, stating that the institution itself needs "divine protection" after it submitted a 'B Report' (one that gives clean chit) to the court regarding the first four accused in the MUDA scam case.

The Karnataka Lokayukta Police submitted an 11,000-page final report in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority site allotment case to the court on February 20.

Siddaramaiah is facing allegations of illegalities in allotting 14 sites to his wife, Parvathi B M.

Addressing a press conference, Kumaraswamy said, "Everyone knows what happened in the MUDA scam. The documents tell the truth." "The Chief Minister has orchestrated the Lokayukta report to suit his convenience. This case cannot be brought to a logical conclusion because the government has interfered at every stage of the investigation. We are being harassed for raising this issue. For the first time in the state's history, an IAS-led SIT has been formed to investigate our land. Five IAS officers have been appointed to the SIT," he said, in a statement.

Recently, the state government formed a Special Investigation Team to probe allegations of land encroachment by Kumaraswamy.

Kumaraswamy recalled that 40 years ago when he was a film distributor in Mysuru, he worked hard to acquire the disputed land in the Ramanagara district.

"Now, they claim 14 acres have been encroached upon. I had written to them earlier, asking them to conduct a survey and reclaim the land if there was encroachment. I even wrote a letter requesting an investigation. Yet my request was ignored and I have been harassed for four decades," he alleged.

"The government itself claims that there are no original documents. But suddenly, new claimants have emerged! Who are they? Where did they come from? Who brought them? I have all the information," he added.

Hitting out at the state government, the Union Minister said, "Let them conduct an international survey; I am not afraid."