Bengaluru:
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah – facing demands from the opposition to resign after a trial court ordered filing of charges in connection with the alleged Mysuru Urban Development Authority, or MUDA, land scam – must now deal with similar demands from within the ruling Congress.
KB Koliwad, 79, a five-time MLA and former Assembly Speaker, has suggested the Chief Minister step down to avoid any further embarrassment to the party. “He can be Chief Minister again after he clears this blemish… this is my personal request,” the veteran Congress leader said.
“… this is what I think. There are two judgements… one by the High Court and other by the People’s Court. Under such circumstances, this situation is being utilised by the opposition parties. Yesterday itself Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) spoke in Haryana,” he said.
“So, to avoid this I request Chief Minister to resign. After he clears this blemish he can return… after all, he is supported by all MLAs and Congress high command,” Mr Koliwad reasoned.
Significantly, KB Koliwad is also President of the Congress’ state Disciplinary Committee.
Siddaramaiah faces strident calls to resign from the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party and its ally, the Janata Dal Secular (which was earlier allied with the Congress).
Union Ministers Pralhad Joshi and senior BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar, as well as the party’s state boss, BY Vijayendra, have demanded Siddaramaiah resign. Party workers have held protests.
READ | “Siddaramaiah Must Quit”: BJP Shouts After Land Scam Setback
Most importantly, the Prime Minister has also attacked the Congress. At a rally in poll-bound Haryana on Thursday, Mr Modi referred to the “condition of Karnataka” accused the rival party of corruption.
On Tuesday afternoon the Karnataka High Court paved the way for filing of police charges against the Chief Minister by dismissing his challenge to Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot’s order. The Governor had last month sanctioned the prosecution of the Chief Minister.
READ | “Governor’s Action As Per Law”: Setback For Siddaramaiah In Court
Yesterday the Special Court of the People’s Representatives directed filing of charges and told the Lokayukta’s Mysuru branch to conduct an inquiry and submit a report in three months.
The Chief Minister will now face an inquiry into claims his wife, Parvathi, was allotted multiple plots of land in an upmarket Mysuru area as compensation for land elsewhere – an exchange that allegedly cost the state losses of at least Rs 4,000 crore – taken for infrastructure projects.
He has firmly denied the charge; last month he said he had not done anything illegal in a career spanning four decades, and expressed confidence the judiciary would absolve him. The Congress veteran is expected to challenge the High Court order in the Supreme Court.
The Chief Minister’s response to the special court’s order was swift. “I will fight. I am not afraid of anything. We are ready to face the investigation. I will fight this legally,” he declared.
READ | Siddaramaiah “Not Afraid” As Court Orders Case In Alleged Land Scam
After the High Court order he underlined his confidence in the judicial system and said, “I believe in the law and the Constitution… The truth will finally win.” He also hit out at the opposition BJP’s “revenge politics”; the Congress has claimed the charges are a “conspiracy” to destabilise its government.
READ | “Truth Will Come Out”: Siddaramaiah After Court Setback
He has also dismissed any talk of resigning, pointing out that he has not been convicted as yet.
“Why should I resign? (JDS leader and former Chief Minister) HD Kumaraswamy is on bail. Did he resign? In an inquiry stage, how does resignation arise?”
Siddaramaiah has also received the public backing, for now, of the party and his Cabinet, as well as his deputy, DK Shivakumar; this is important not only because DKS, as he is called, is boss of the state unit, but also since the two faced-off for the top job after last year’s poll win.
The Siddaramaiah-DKS stand-off, many feared, would cause a rift in the party. But Mr Shivakumar said, “We will stand by him… we will support him. He has been doing good work for state and party.”
The Congress has also backed Siddaramaiah, with national spokesperson Shama Mohamed pointing out “many leaders from the JDS and BJP (also) got it (i.e., they were also allotted land). “All this happened during the BJP rule… Chief Minister will explore other possibilities. It is not the end of the road,” national spokesperson Shama Mohamed said, laughing off BJP leaders’ celebrations.
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