I am being targeted because of my backward class: Siddaramaiah on MUDA controversy

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said that he is being targeted regarding the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land case as he hails from a backward class.

“I am being targeted as I hail from the backward class. The agitation against me is political but I am capable of countering it,” the Chief Minister said.

The MUDA controversy is primarily over the purchase, de-notification, gifting, encroachment, and awarding of sites in connection with 3.16 acres of land owned by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife B.M. Parvathi.

The BJP has alleged a loss of about Rs 4,000 crore to the government by alleged fraudulent allotments.

MUDA timeline:

* The controversial 3.16 acres of land in the name of CM’s wife originally belonged to one J. Devaraju family. MUDA began land acquisition allegedly in 1992. It was de-notified in 1998.

* The said land was sold by J. Devaraju and family via a sale deed dated August 8, 2004, to Mallikarjuna Swamy, brother-in-law of Siddaramaiah, who was then Deputy Chief Minister in Congress and JD-S coalition government.

* The land was converted for residential purposes through the conversion order on July 15, 2005, as sought by Mallikarjuna Swamy.

* The gift deed executed by her brother B.M. Mallikarjunaswamy on October 6, 2010, in the name of Parvathi. Siddaramaiah was Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly then.

* The land developed by the MUDA, into a residential layout, namely the Devanur Badavane 3rd Stage carving out residential sites and forming roads etc and 19 developed sites were distributed in 2014.

* In 2014 a petition was submitted to MUDA regarding encroachment and seeking compensation by the Chief Minister’s wife.

* In 2020, the MUDA passed a resolution on 50:50 formula pertaining to the development of the layout. The mere discussion in the meeting was passed as a resolution allegedly.

* 14 sites measuring 40x60 worth Rs 2 crore each in prime Vijayanagar allotted on Jan 5, 2022.

* Mysuru Deputy Commissioner K.V. Rajendra brought the issue to the notice of authorities in the Urban Development Department in February 2023.

* The Urban Development Department allegedly turned a “blind eye” to his letters and continued with the allotment of a bunch of sites to individuals “flouting” rules.

* Mysuru RTI activist Gangaraju exposed the alleged illegal allotments to Chief Minsiter’s family; the Communist Party of India and other organisations protested.

* On July 1, 2024, the Karnataka government formed a committee headed by two IAS officers to probe the case.

* On July 7, 2024, social activist Snehamayi Krishna lodged a complaint with the Vijayanagar police station in Mysuru. The police “refused” to file a criminal complaint and forward the case to the committee.

* On July 11, 2024, T.J. Abraham lodged a complaint with the Election Commission against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for “concealing” the information regarding this particular 3.16 acres of land owned by his wife Parvathi in his Election Affidavit.

* Social activist Snehamayi Krishna made the charge that the original documents belonging to land owner Devaraju were forged.

* BJP demanded a CBI probe. State President B.Y. Vijayendra maintained that as per the law, the wife of the Chief Minister was supposed to get only 2 sites measuring 40x60. Instead, she is allotted 14 sites in a prime locality.

* He also stated the said land was acquired by MUDA before being purchased by Siddaramaiah’s brother-in-law. How can he make the purchase of acquired land? Vijayendra had stated the RTC and the primary record of land ownership, exposes the scam.

* RIT activist Gangaraju, who exposed the case, maintained that Siddaramaiah introduced the 50:50 formula for developing the layout in 2014.

* Siddaramaiah has maintained that allotments are made during the tenure of the BJP government. After allotments, the BJP has claimed it to be a “scam”.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has said that his family never asked for sites at the prime localities. “We are ready to return them. The government should provide him Rs 62 crore instead,” the Chief Minister said.