Mysore/Mysuru: Joining the chorus of opposition parties, organisations and groups  demanding a CBI probe into the massive MUDA scam involving thousands of crores of rupees, MLC A.H. Vishwanath urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to handover the probe into the Multi-crore MUDA scam to the CBI and  come clean.

Addressing a press meet in front of MUDA office on JLB road here this morning, Vishwanath alleged that a gargantuan 20 lakh sq.ft of  land which was developed into sites and plots were allotted clandestinely to fake land owners who included realtors, real estate agents, persons from land mafia etc.,

Pointing out it is all the more astonishing that, no genuine land owners who parted with their  land were given sites as per the 50:50 ratio plan, which was formulated by the MUDA itself, the MLC said that, even the CM is a beneficiary with the allotment of 3.16 acres of land in the name of his wife. Noting that this land was purchased by one Mallikarjuna Swamy from a Dalit land owner by name Javara on Aug.25,2004, he said that earlier, the said land was notified by MUDA in 1998 and compensation was given for land acquisition.

Subsequently, the land was de-notified in 2017 and the MUDA developed the land by forming sites which were later illegally allotted to fake beneficiaries, resulting in the scam.

Ridiculing CM Siddaramaiah’s statement that he would give up  the 3.16 acres of land in question if MUDA compensates him by paying Rs.62 crore, Vishwanath questioned the CM’s love for possession of highly valuable land.

Wondering what all has happened to Siddaramaiah’s public posture of being a Samajawadi (Socialist), he asked the CM to surrender the land allotted in the name of his wife and distribute it among the AHINDA communities, of which he claims to be a champion.

Arguing that this act will earn him a good name as a true socialist, which he has been propagating for long, the MLC said that, otherwise, the CM will lose the trust and faith reposed in him by downtrodden communities.

Urging the State Government to immediately handover the MUDA scam to the CBI for the conduct of a fair and transparent probe, he asserted that he would collect money from public funding and file a PIL in the High Court seeking a CBI probe into the scam.

RTI activist Gangaraju and former MUDA official Nataraj were present.