MUDA 'Scam': Siddaramaiah Alleges Conspiracy Behind Prosecution Sanction, Calls Governor Centre's 'Puppet'

Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah suggested that his government's implementation of various welfare schemes, particularly those benefiting the poor and marginalized communities, has made him a target.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has accused the central government, BJP, JD(S), and local leaders in Karnataka of orchestrating a conspiracy against him following the Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot’s decision to grant permission for his prosecution in the alleged Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment 'scam'. The Chief Minister suggested that his government's implementation of various welfare schemes, particularly those benefiting the poor and marginalized communities, has made him a target.

On Karnataka Governor granting permission to prosecute him in the alleged MUDA scam, 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. 

In response to the Governor's decision, Congress workers and supporters staged protests across Karnataka, including in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mandya, and Davanagere. In Bengaluru, a large protest was organized by Congress workers and members of the Karnataka Pradesh Kurubara Sangha at Gandhi Nagar, where they demanded the removal of Governor Gehlot. The protesters chanted anti-Governor slogans, burned effigies, and carried placards with messages such as "Remove Governor, Save State."

Similar protests erupted in other parts of the state, with demonstrators expressing solidarity with Siddaramaiah and condemning the alleged political conspiracy against him. In Mysuru, the Chief Minister’s home district, protesters set tyres on fire and raised slogans against the BJP, JD(S), and the Governor, whom they accused of being biased and working against the interests of marginalized communities.

Governor Gehlot, in granting the sanction for prosecution, stated that it was essential to conduct a neutral, objective, and non-partisan investigation into the allegations. He noted that he was "satisfied" that the evidence presented prima facie supported the claims of wrongdoing, necessitating further investigation.