Karnataka Minister Ramalinga Reddy Defends Chief Minister Siddaramaiah Amid MUDA Land Allotment Controversy
Bengaluru, Karnataka – On Tuesday, Karnataka Minister Ramalinga Reddy stated that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will not resign after the High Court dismissed his plea against the governor’s sanction to prosecute him in the alleged MUDA land allotment scam.
Ramalinga Reddy emphasized that the entire cabinet and the Congress party support Siddaramaiah. He said, “He is a ‘clean hand’ Chief Minister. We don’t find a Chief Minister like this. He is a 100% clean-handed man. BJP people are the most corrupt people in India, there is no value to their words. Now, the single judge bench has upheld the Governor’s permission.”
He added, “There is a double bench, full bench, Supreme Court. We will fight. BJP doesn’t have the moral right to ask for Siddaramaiah’s resignation. Not only Congress but the entire cabinet, MLAs and High Command will stand by CM Siddaramaiah. Why should he resign? There is a denotification case regarding Yediyurappa and Kumaraswamy, let them resign first.”
However, the BJP has demanded Siddaramaiah’s immediate resignation on moral grounds. BJP leader CT Ravi said, “Law is same for everyone…After the Karnataka High Court’s judgement, CM Siddaramaiah should resign…Every corrupt leader says that he will not resign. CM Siddaramaiah is a corrupt leader.”
The Karnataka High Court dismissed Siddaramaiah’s petition challenging the approval given by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot for investigating alleged illegalities in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) allotting sites to his wife. Justice Nagaprasanna of the single judge bench stated that the order of sanction for prosecution does not suffer from non-application of mind by the Governor.
Siddaramaiah’s petition questioned the legality of the sanction granted by the Governor under Section 17 A of the Prevention of Corruption Act and prosecution under Section 218 of Bharatiya Nagarik Surakha Sanhita, 2023. Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot granted sanction on August 17 based on applications by social activists Pradeep Kumar SP, TJ Abraham, and Snehamayi Krishna.
It is alleged that MUDA illegally allotted 14 sites to Siddaramaiah’s wife in a prime location in Mysuru city. The High Court had previously granted temporary relief to Siddaramaiah by directing a special court in Bengaluru to defer further proceedings and not take any precipitative action.
On August 31, the office of the Karnataka Governor informed the High Court that the sanction to prosecute Siddaramaiah was granted after “application of mind.”
Doubts Revealed
Karnataka -: Karnataka is a state in the southern part of India. It has a lot of big cities like Bengaluru, which is known as the ‘Silicon Valley of India’ because of its tech industry.
Minister -: A minister is a person who is in charge of a specific department in the government. They help make important decisions and manage different areas like education, health, or transportation.
Ramalinga Reddy -: Ramalinga Reddy is a politician in Karnataka. He is a member of the Congress party and holds a position in the state government.
Chief Minister -: The Chief Minister is the head of the government in a state in India. They are like the captain of a team, making important decisions and leading the state.
Siddaramaiah -: Siddaramaiah is a politician and the current Chief Minister of Karnataka. He is a member of the Congress party.
MUDA -: MUDA stands for Mysore Urban Development Authority. It is an organization that plans and develops the city of Mysore in Karnataka.
Land Allotment -: Land allotment means giving or assigning pieces of land to people or organizations. It is usually done by the government.
Controversy -: A controversy is a situation where people have different opinions and argue about something. It often involves a disagreement or a problem.
High Court -: The High Court is a big and important court in a state in India. It makes decisions on important legal matters and can overrule lower courts.
Governor -: The governor is a person appointed by the President of India to oversee a state. They have the power to approve or reject certain decisions made by the state government.
Sanction to Prosecute -: Sanction to prosecute means getting official permission to take legal action against someone. In this case, it means the governor allowed legal action against Siddaramaiah.
Scam -: A scam is a dishonest plan or activity to cheat people and take their money or property. It is illegal and unfair.
Cabinet -: The cabinet is a group of top leaders in the government who help the Chief Minister make important decisions. They are like a team of advisors.
Congress Party -: The Congress Party is one of the major political parties in India. It has been around for a long time and has many members across the country.
BJP -: BJP stands for Bharatiya Janata Party. It is another major political party in India, different from the Congress Party. They often compete in elections.
Moral Grounds -: Moral grounds mean doing something because it is the right thing to do, based on principles of right and wrong. It is about being fair and honest.
Petition -: A petition is a formal request made to a court or an authority. In this case, Siddaramaiah asked the High Court to review the governor’s decision.
