UP Congress Chief Ajay Rai Accuses BJP of Conspiracy Over Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah’s Prosecution

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], August 18: UP Congress chief Ajay Rai has accused the BJP of conspiring to weaken the Congress government following Karnataka Governor Thawarchand Gehlot’s decision to sanction the prosecution of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the alleged MUDA scam.

Speaking about the issue, Ajay Rai said, “This is a conspiracy of BJP. They want to weaken the Congress government wherever it is in power. How many scams did BJP’s Karnataka former CM Yediyurappa do? 40 per cent commission was fixed but nothing happened. BJP is trying to torture and defame Congress.”

Rai further claimed that the governor was working on the instructions of the Centre. He said, “During Lok Sabha elections in Varanasi 8 governors, Lieutenant Governor was campaigning for PM Modi showing no respect for the position they hold which shows that the Governor is working at the directions of the Centre.”

On August 17, an order from the Karnataka Governor’s Secretariat stated that the Governor had sanctioned the prosecution of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and the Bharathiya Nagarika Suraksha Samhitha, 2023.

In response, Siddaramaiah said, “The Governor’s permission for prosecution against me is against the Constitution. The Governor is supposed to act as a representative of the Constitution, but he is behaving like a representative of the Central Government and the BJP.”

Earlier, social activist Snehamayi Krishna filed a complaint against Siddaramaiah and nine others for allegedly forging documents to claim compensation from the Mysuru Urban Development Authority. Siddaramaiah refuted the allegations, stating, “In the case of MUDA, everything was done according to the law. I have not exerted any influence on the allotment of the plot. My wife was given a replacement plot in 2021 during the BJP government period, as per the law.”