Wants ED to take two former Commissioners into custody

Mysore/Mysuru:  A day after Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot granted sanction for the prosecution of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in MUDA illegal sites allotment scam, State BJP OBC Morcha President Raghu Kautilya has called for a Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe in order to unearth the full dimension of the scam.

Addressing a press meet at Pathrakartara Bhavan here this morning, Raghu, displaying a copy of the Nov. 27, 2023, letter written by the then Mysuru Deputy Commissioner to the Urban Development Department Secretary at Bengaluru, in which the DC had highlighted gross irregularities in the 50:50 ratio alternative site allotments, the procedural lapses and financial losses in land acquisition and compensation payments  and other fraudulent practices, maintained that the MUDA scam was a fit case for ED.

Urging the ED to register a Suo Moto case based on the DC’s letter, for a fair and thorough probe into the Multi-thousand crore MUDA scam, he said that he would file a petition seeking the ED to register a case and conduct  probe into the scam.

Alleging that Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh was protecting former MUDA Commissioners D.B. Natesh and G.T. Dinesh Kumar, under whose tenure the scam had taken place, Raghu wanted to know why the two former MUDA Commissioners have not been questioned so far, when their involvement in the scam is glaring. Questioning the Minister why he was shielding the two former MUDA commissioners, by just transferring them to Bengaluru, he said that all the officials involved in the scam must not be spared of investigation.

Stating that he had exposed the MUDA scam on June 30, Raghu said that the MUDA scam is far bigger than anticipated, he wondered why the Justice P.N. Desai Commission was formed in the first place. Reiterating that skeletons were tumbling out of MUDA every other day, he strongly defended the Governor’s sanction for the prosecution of the CM in the MUDA alternative sites allotment scam.

Quoting the Ramayana where Sita underwent a test of fire, Raghu said that the CM should quit and face the probe and come out clean. “Siddaramaiah can become the Chief Minister again if he comes out clean in the MUDA scam probe. The Congress is now crying hoarse against Governor Gehlot. The Congress should remember that its own Governor Hansraj Bharadwaj accorded sanction for the prosecution of the then BJP Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa in connection with a graft case,” he said while reiterating that CM Siddaramaiah should quit and face a probe.

Continuing, Raghu said that Banks should thoroughly scrutinise documents when MUDA 50:50 ratio alternative site allottees seek bank loans. Contending that there are many irregularities in the alternative sites allotments, he wanted the Banks to be extra careful while granting loans on sites allotted since 2020. He further said that he had written to the Banks in this regard much earlier, telling them to be very cautious while granting loans on sites.

BJP leaders B.M. Raghu, Shailendra, Maheshraje Urs and Giridhar were present at the press meet.

Yesterday too, Raghu Kautilya had demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over MUDA sites allotment scam. In a statement, Raghu said that Siddaramaiah who often says that Ramakrishna Hegde was his ideal leader who resigned on charges of phone tapping, should follow his leader now and quit the CM’s post.

Pointing out that Siddaramaiah has no moral right to take shelter of AHINDA to hide his wrongs, he charged the CM of rendering grave injustice to the Backward Classes and Dalits. Maintaining that the BJP would not have taken out Mysuru Chalo Padayatra had the CM come up with clear answers on the MUDA scam during the Legislature Session, he reiterated that Siddaramaiah should resign and extend full co-operation in the MUDA scam probe, now that the Governor has sanctioned his prosecution.