Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah Questions Governor’s Actions in MUDA ‘Scam’ Case
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], August 21: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has raised concerns about the actions of Karnataka Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot. The CM questioned whether the Governor has discriminated against him by granting immediate permission to prosecute him in the alleged MUDA ‘scam’ while delaying action in a similar case involving former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy.
Speaking to reporters in Koppal, Siddaramaiah said, “Has the governor not discriminated by giving immediate permission for prosecution against me? In the case of former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, the Governor has been following a delay policy but he has permitted the prosecution without relying on any investigation report against me. Is this not discrimination?”
In a post on X, the Karnataka CM mentioned that the Lokayukta Special Investigation Team (SIT) sought permission for prosecution against Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD Kumaraswamy in an alleged illegal mining case, but the Governor did not take any action. Siddaramaiah added, “In HD Kumaraswamy’s case, the Governor is following a delaying approach, but he has allowed prosecution against me alone without any investigation report. What else is this but discrimination?”
He further stated, “Kumaraswamy is already scared. They are worried that the governor may allow an investigation into the illegal mining case. Lokayukta SIT submitted an investigation report against him and sought permission for prosecution, but as no action was taken by the Governor, SIT applied again.”
The CM was speaking in the context of the SIT seeking the Governor’s nod to file a chargesheet against HD Kumaraswamy over an alleged ‘illegal’ mining lease. HD Kumaraswamy, in turn, accused the Congress of vendetta politics and said that the Congress wanted to malign him using a dead case.
“They started the enquiry in 2011 and several findings have come out. There is no exchequer loss. Till now no mining area is allowed to anyone. Now it’s 2024, the SIT hasn’t completed the investigation yet. Two to three times they went to the Supreme Court but only filed the status report. Now after Congress coming to power in 2023, they went to the governor in November requesting sanction to file a chargesheet against me. Let’s see what happens. I have no role in the case. This government wants to malign me. But this is a dead case,” said Kumaraswamy.
The Karnataka High Court on Monday asked the trial court concerned not to take any precipitative action against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah based on the Governor’s sanction in the MUDA ‘scam’, till the next date of hearing before the High Court.
Earlier, a complaint was filed by social activist Snehamayi Krishna against the Karnataka CM and nine others for allegedly forging documents to claim compensation from the Mysuru Urban Development Authority.
Doubts Revealed
Karnataka CM -: CM stands for Chief Minister. The Chief Minister is the head of the government in a state in India. In this case, Siddaramaiah is the Chief Minister of Karnataka.
Governor -: The Governor is the head of a state in India, appointed by the President of India. The Governor has various powers, including giving permission for legal actions against government officials.
MUDA ‘scam’ -: MUDA stands for Mysore Urban Development Authority. A ‘scam’ means a dishonest scheme or fraud. The MUDA ‘scam’ refers to alleged illegal activities related to land or development projects in Mysore.
Thawar Chand Gehlot -: Thawar Chand Gehlot is the current Governor of Karnataka. He is responsible for overseeing the state’s administration and has the authority to grant permissions for legal actions.
HD Kumaraswamy -: HD Kumaraswamy is a former Chief Minister of Karnataka. He is a politician from the Janata Dal (Secular) party and has been involved in various political activities in the state.
Illegal mining case -: Illegal mining refers to the extraction of minerals without proper permissions or in violation of laws. The case against HD Kumaraswamy involves allegations of such illegal activities.
Vendetta politics -: Vendetta politics means using political power to take revenge on opponents. HD Kumaraswamy accused the Congress party of using their power to target him unfairly.
Karnataka High Court -: The Karnataka High Court is the highest judicial authority in the state of Karnataka. It deals with important legal cases and has the power to make significant decisions.
Trial court -: A trial court is where legal cases are first heard and decided. The Karnataka High Court has asked the trial court not to take any action against Siddaramaiah until the next hearing.
