MUDA case against Siddaramaiah politically motivated, opposition 'plot' to tarnish image: Karnataka ministers

Bengaluru: Welcoming Lokayukta police's clean chit to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in MUDA site allotment case, several of his cabinet colleagues on Thursday said the case was politically motivated, and a "plot by opposition BJP and JD(S) to tarnish his political image".

The Lokayukta police probing the MUDA site allotment case has said that the charges against Siddaramaiah and others could not be proved for want of evidence.

Siddaramaiah was facing allegations of illegalities in the allotment of 14 sites to his wife Parvathi B M by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA).

"I had said in the beginning itself, when BJP and JD(S) did their padayatra from Bengaluru to Mysuru, that it (allegation) is politically motivated. His (Siddaramaiah) signature was not there, he had nothing to do with it. His family had lost the property and had asked for a claim, everyone does that whether it is me or you, and he was given (alternative sites).There was no demand for allotment in a specific place," Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said.

Speaking to reporters here, he said, "There should be evidence to file any case, but in this case there was no evidence. Lokayukta have done their duty, if they (complainants) have any objections, let them fight (legally)."

Alleging that the case was a political plot by the BJP and JD(S), Shivakumar pointing at lawyers from Delhi coming and fighting the case on behalf of the complainants, said, "such things cannot go on for long."

To the opposition's criticism that the Lokayukta police have worked under the instructions of the government, he said, Lokayukta is an independent institution, the High Court itself has said that it is an independent body.

"Lokayukta is not just the police, it is an independent body, the Chief Minister has no control over it. If any official has to be appointed to the body, it is only after taking the approval of the Lokayukta, the official will be picked from the Karnataka cadre," he added.

Siddaramaiah, his wife, brother-in-law B M Mallikarjun Swamy, Devaraju -- from whom Swamy had purchased a land and gifted it to Parvathi -- and others were named in the FIR registered by the Lokayukta police in Mysuru on September 27, following the order of the Special Court that exclusively deals with criminal cases related to former and elected MPs/MLAs.

In the MUDA site allotment case, it is alleged that 14 compensatory sites were allotted to Siddaramaiah's wife in an upmarket area in Mysuru (Vijayanagar Layout 3rd and 4th stages), which had higher property value as compared to the location of her land which had been "acquired" by MUDA.

Lashing out at the Lokayukta giving a clean chit to Siddaramaiah, the BJP leaders on Wednesday had said that their apprehensions about the Lokayukta investigations have come true.

BJP state President B Y Vijayendra has said, the BJP knew from day one that the Lokayukta cannot do proper investigations and therefore, the party had been constantly demanding CBI probe into this.

Asking whether the BJP was questioning the probe itself, Home Minister G Parameshwara said, Lokayukta has come to a conclusion based on the evidence at hand.

"When there is no evidence, they have come to a conclusion. Is it right to question it, let them (BJP) think," he added.

To a question on the opposition's demand that the case be given to CBI for probe, the Home Minister said, the High Court itself has said no to it, let them go before court once again.

Parameshwara said the Lokayukta is an independent body and it is not under the government. "Government doesn't give directions in its day-to-day functioning."

Expressing happiness over Siddaramaiah being given a clean chit by Lokayukta, Social Welfare Minister H C Mahadevappa said, opposition had used the case politically.

"There was no violation of law, no political interference, no nepotism, no transfer of money in this case. Siddaramaiah is an honest politician and able administrator, there was an attempt to tarnish his image and destabilise the Congress government. a political conspiracy was hatched for that. Other than that there was nothing illegal in allotting sites to Siddaramaiah's wife," he said.