CM Siddaramaiah’s resignation demanded

Mysore/Mysuru: Holding two former MUDA (Mysuru Urban Development Authority) Commissioners, Dr. D.B. Natesh and G.T. Dinesh Kumar, responsible for the current scandalous state of affairs in MUDA following the exposure of a massive site allotment scam, MLC A.H. Vishwanath alleged that these officials colluded with elected representatives in the illegal allocation of over 5,000 sites during their tenure.

Speaking to the press yesterday, after the Governor sanctioned the prosecution of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in connection with the alleged MUDA site allotment scam, Vishwanath claimed this to be the largest scam in Mysuru’s recent history.

He asserted that the scam unfolded during the tenures of Dr. Natesh and Dinesh Kumar as MUDA Commissioners, where established norms were blatantly ignored, leading to a scam worth Rs. 3,000 crore.

Vishwanath urged the Government to seize documents that the two former MUDA Commissioners allegedly still possess, and demanded their immediate arrest, along with the cancellation of the illegally allotted alternative sites.

He emphasised that, beyond probing the allocation of 14 alternative sites to CM Siddaramaiah’s wife, B.M. Parvathi, a comprehensive investigation should be conducted into the allotment of all 5,000 sites. According to Vishwanath, the scam’s magnitude extends into thousands of crores of rupees.

Highlighting that there were 9,000 sites under MUDA’s control in 2019, Vishwanath alleged that more than 5,000 of these sites have been illegally allotted in a secretive manner since then. He also accused previous BJP and Congress Governments of participating in illegal site allotments on a massive scale.

Advice to CM

Commenting on Siddaramaiah’s reaction to the Governor’s sanction of prosecution, Vishwanath stated that the CM should refrain from creating a ruckus and instead respect the rule of law by stepping down from his position.

“Siddaramaiah always used to say that the law takes its own course. Now, the law has indeed taken its course regarding the CM. I had advised him much earlier to return the 14 sites allotted to his wife. I even asked Siddaramaiah what he intended to do with those 14 sites,” he said, reiterating that now, with the Governor having sanctioned his prosecution, Siddaramaiah should step down with honour.

Vishwanath observed that the Congress’s accusation of the Governor being a puppet of the BJP is typical. He noted that blaming Governors appointed by other parties has become a common trend across the country. However, he underscored that the posts of the President of India and Governors are Constitutional positions, and those occupying these roles function strictly within the ambit of the law.