Answered All Questions, False Case Filed Against Me, Told Lokayukta The Truth: Siddaramaiah

Last Updated:November 06, 2024, 16:14 IST

The Karnataka chief minister arrived at the Lokayukta office around 10.30 am, and after three hours of questioning by the Lokayukta police in the MUDA case, he addressed the media

After Karnataka governor Thawar Chand Gehlot granted sanction to prosecute Siddaramaiah and directed the Lokayukta’s special investigation team (SIT) to probe the matter, this is the first time the chief minister has appeared before the agency. Pic/News18

Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah faced a three-hour questioning session at the Lokayukta police office in Mysuru on Wednesday, as part of an investigation into the MUDA land allotment case.

The case involves allegations by three petitioners, including RTI activists Snehamayi Krishna and TJ Abraham, who claim the CM misused his official position during his previous term to allot 14 prime sites in Mysuru. It is alleged these sites were allocated as compensation for his wife in a land dispute, where Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) had encroached upon her property.

After Karnataka governor Thawar Chand Gehlot granted sanction to prosecute Siddaramaiah and directed the Lokayukta’s special investigation team (SIT) to probe the matter, this is the first time the chief minister has appeared before the agency.

Siddaramaiah arrived at the Lokayukta office around 10.30 am, and after the questioning, he addressed the media. He stated he had fully cooperated with the investigators, answering all questions posed by the officials.

“They asked me questions, and I answered each of them. All responses were recorded, reviewed, and verified for accuracy. I was asked if my responses were correct, to which I confirmed. So far, I have not been asked to appear again. I believe this case against me is baseless, and I am confident that the truth will prevail," he said.

Responding to a question on the Bharatiya Janata Party’s protest in the city where it raised “Go Back Siddaramaiah" slogans while he was at the Lokayukta office, the CM said, “They (BJP) have filed a false case against me; the police have questioned me, and I have told them the truth."

He added that if the BJP is asking him to leave Mysuru, it raises the question of whether the party opposes the investigation itself.

“False cases and allegations have been made, and now they say, ‘go back’? Are they against investigation? Has the BJP ever given any of their corruption cases to the CBI? The Lokayukta is an independent agency; let them conduct their investigation. The governor himself stated that the investigation must be conducted by the Lokayukta, and that is what is happening," he countered.

In addition to the Lokayukta probe, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is also investigating the MUDA case.

A petition has been filed in the Karnataka high court, requesting the case be transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for further inquiry as well.

The Lokayukta team previously recorded a statement from Siddaramaiah’s wife, BM Parvathi, which lasted eight hours on October 25.

Parvathi, who recently returned the 14 plots controversially allotted to her by MUDA, emphasised that “my husband’s honour and dignity are more important than property or wealth". This marked her first public statement on the issue.

“Nothing is greater than my husband’s honour and dignity. I have never sought anything from a family that has been in power for so many years," Parvathi wrote, adding that she penned the letter of her own will, without consulting her husband, her MLA son Yathindra Siddaramaiah, or any family members.

Parvathi highlighted Siddaramaiah’s four-decade-long, unblemished political career, describing him as a man who strictly adheres to ethics. She noted that she has always kept a low profile to protect his image.

“I have never sought a house, property, gold, or wealth. I am touched by the love and support the public shows my husband, but I am deeply hurt by the allegations related to the MUDA land allotment, which arose from a gift my brothers gave me," she wrote.

Siddaramaiah recently accused the opposition, particularly the BJP and Janata Dal (Secular), of unfairly targeting his family, especially his wife, who has largely stayed out of public life.

Union minister and JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy responded, saying it was not a personal attack on Siddaramaiah’s family. He argued that Parvathi’s name emerged due to Siddaramaiah’s own actions and that blaming the opposition was misplaced.

Siddaramaiah contended the opposition could not tolerate a person from a backward community holding the chief minister’s office. According to him, they have been attempting to damage his image and drag his family into controversies in an effort to unseat him.

“They want to topple the Siddaramaiah government, and there is just one reason behind it—that I belong to a backward community. That causes them heartburn. Will you tolerate these kinds of actions?" Siddaramaiah said at the Swabhimani Samavesha (self-esteem convention) organised for AHINDA communities last month.

News politics Answered All Questions, False Case Filed Against Me, Told Lokayukta The Truth: Siddaramaiah