Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has filed a petition with the Karnataka High Court challenging Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot’s decision to approve his prosecution in an alleged land scam case. Siddaramaiah is accused of irregularities related to the allotment of a compensatory site to his wife by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) during his tenure as chief minister.
While the BJP has been calling for his resignation over these allegations, the Congress has dismissed any such move. Siddaramaiah has criticized the Governor’s decision as “anti-Constitution” and “against the law,” and has vowed to contest it in court, maintaining that he has “done nothing wrong.”
This incident adds to the ongoing tensions between a Governor and a state government led by a non-BJP party.
On Saturday, Mr. Gehlot authorized the Lokayukta to prosecute Siddaramaiah in the alleged land scam case. This morning, the Chief Minister filed a petition challenging this decision.
The sanction was prompted by petitions from three activists—Pradeep Kumar, TJ Abraham, and Snehamayi Krishna—who claimed that the allotment resulted in significant financial loss to the state.
This decision followed a notice from the Governor, requesting that the Chief Minister explain within seven days why he should not be prosecuted. The state cabinet has condemned the action as a “gross misuse of the Constitutional office” and has called on the Governor to withdraw it.
In July, Mr. Abraham filed a complaint with the Lokayukta, alleging that 14 sites in an upscale Mysuru neighborhood were “illegally” allotted to BM Parvathi, Siddaramaiah’s wife. He claimed that this resulted in a ₹45 crore loss to the state exchequer.
Mr. Krishna also alleged that Siddaramaiah, his wife, and officials from MUDA and the administration were involved in the scam.
Siddaramaiah claimed that the land for which his wife received compensation was originally gifted to her in 1998. However, Ms. Krishna alleged that the land was actually acquired illegally in 2004 and was registered as purchased in 1998 using forged documents with the assistance of government officials.
In 2014, Ms. Parvathi sought compensation for this land while Siddaramaiah was Chief Minister. Siddaramaiah, however, asserted that the compensation was awarded when the BJP was in power and that it was her entitlement.
