Siddaramaiah Moves HC Against Karnataka Governor's Nod For Prosecution In MUDA Case

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has filed a petition in the High Court challenging Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot's decision to grant sanction for his prosecution regarding alleged irregularities in land allocation by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA).

The High Court has scheduled the hearing for 2:30 pm today, with Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi representing Siddaramaiah.

Photo Credit: PTI

The request for prosecution sanction was made by social activists TJ Abraham, Snehamai Krishna from Mysore, and Pradeep Kumar SP from Bangalore. Abraham sought the sanction in July, prompting the Governor to issue a show-cause notice to the Chief Minister shortly thereafter.

Siddaramaiah is accused of being involved in irregularities related to compensatory land allocation to his wife by MUDA during his previous term as Chief Minister.

His brother-in-law, Malikarjuna Swamy Devaraj, is also implicated in the alleged land scam, which involves accusations against top officials of MUDA as well.

The controversy revolves around a 3.16-acre plot of land in Kesaru village owned by Siddaramaiah's wife, Parvathi. This land was acquired by MUDA for the development of a layout, and Parvathi was compensated with 14 premium sites in Vijayanagar in 2022 under a 50:50 scheme.

However, activists have alleged that the plots allotted to Parvathi had a higher property value compared to the original location of her land.

The political rivalry between the BJP and Congress in Karnataka has intensified due to the governor's decision.

The BJP has demanded Siddaramaiah's resignation over the allegations, while the Congress has dismissed such demands. Siddaramaiah has called the charges "politically motivated," claiming that they are part of a conspiracy by the opposition to topple his government.

He stated, "The entire cabinet is with me. The entire high command is with me. All the MLAs and MLCs are standing by my side."