The Congress-led Siddaramaiah government in Karnataka finds itself under increasing pressure as the controversy surrounding the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) 'scam' continues to escalate. On Saturday, just hours after Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot granted permission to prosecute Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, one of the complainants in the case filed a caveat in the Karnataka High Court.
With this, Siddaramaiah is expected to challenge or seek the suspension of the Governor's order. With the caveat in place, the court is now required to hear the arguments of the original complainant before reaching any conclusions, according to legal experts, cited by PTI.
The MUDA 'Scam': Background
The MUDA 'scam' involves allegations of irregularities in the allotment of compensatory sites by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority. The land in question was reportedly gifted to Parvathi by her brother Mallikarjunaswamy in 2010. After the land was "acquired" by MUDA, Parvathi sought compensation for this land in June 2014, during Siddaramaiah's tenure as Chief Minister.
MUDA reportedly decided to allocate an alternative site to Parvathi in 2017. She petitioned again in 2021 seeking alternative site and in January 2022, she was granted 14 plots. The government later scrapped the 50:50 scheme in October 2023. In July 2024, Siddaramaiah sought compensation of Rs 62 crore, claiming his land had been wrongfully taken, according to Deccan Herald.
In July 2024, Siddaramaiah government established a one-man inquiry commission to investigate potential illegalities in the process.
In the meantime, it was alleged that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's wife, Parvathi, was allotted plots in a prime area of Mysuru, where property values were significantly higher compared to the location of her original land, which had been "acquired" by MUDA.
Under a 50:50 ratio scheme, MUDA reportedly allotted these plots to Parvathi in exchange for 3.16 acres of her land, where the authority had developed a residential layout. The total value of the alleged scam is estimated to be as high as Rs 3,000 crore, as per the Opposition, quoted by Live Mint.
Complaints and Legal Actions
Several complaints have been filed against Siddaramaiah in connection with the MUDA 'scam.' Among the complainants are Pradeep Kumar, T J Abraham, and Snehamayi Krishna, two of whom have urged Governor Gehlot to take action against the Chief Minister.
Activist Snehamayi Krishna has accused Siddaramaiah, his wife, MUDA officials and other government officials of being involved in the land allotment scam. Krishna further alleged that Parvathi's brother, Mallikarjun, illegally acquired the land in 2004 and later gifted it to her in 2010, as per a report on PTI. The land, allegedly denotified but falsely presented as agricultural, has also become the center of the controversy.
Krishna's complaint also asserted that Mallikarjun procured the land illegally in 2004 (when Siddaramaiah was the then Deputy CM) and later registered it using forged documents with the help of government and revenue officials.
T J Abraham, the President of the Karnataka Anti-Graft and Environmental Forum, has also filed a complaint alleging that Siddaramaiah failed to disclose his wife’s ownership of the land in his 2023 Assembly election affidavit.
Siddaramaiah's Defense
In response to the Governor's decision, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has consistently denied the allegations, asserting that they are politically motivated. He has described the accusations as part of a broader conspiracy against him driven by animosity toward his position as Chief Minister for a second term.
On the prosecution, CM Siddaramaiah said, "They (BJP) are not tolerating this government, my leadership. Because this government has implemented all the guarantee schemes. These guarantee schemes are for poor people of all communities, all religions. So the central government is against social justice, poor people and our guarantees."
"The conspiracy is being done by the central government, BJP, JDS and local leaders of Karnataka. I will fight it legally in the court because this is an illegal approval given by the Governor who is a puppet of the central government," he said.
Siddaramaiah has reiterated that the Congress government, under his leadership, is prepared to fight the allegations both legally and politically.