MUDA case: No question of resigning, I've done no wrong, says Siddaramaiah

Even as the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) held a protest in Bengaluru demanding Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's resignation, the veteran Congress leader reiterated on Thursday (September 26) that he is innocent and will not quit over alleged corruption charges.

Siddaramaiah said the charge of wrongdoing in the allotment of 14 sites to his wife by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) is a "BJP conspiracy" and he vowed to fight the charges legally.

The senior Congress leader told reporters, "There is no question of resigning because I have done no wrong. This (charge) is a BJP (conspiracy)."

A special court in Bengaluru on Wednesday ordered a probe by the Lokayukta police in Mysuru against the chief minister in the MUDA site allotment 'scam', setting the stage for the filing of an FIR against him.

Meanwhile, the BJP on Thursday staged a protest in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue at the state legislature and secretariat in Bengaluru demanding the chief minister’s resignation.

DKS backs Siddaramaiah, calls it 'political conspiracy'

Deputy chief minister and state Congress president DK Shivakumar, who is reportedly eyeing the CM's post, backed the senior leader and ruled out the possibility of Siddaramaiah stepping down.

Shivakumar said: "This is a political conspiracy by the BJP and JD(S). They are unable to digest the benefits of our five guarantee schemes reaching people."

Siddaramaiah hits back at PM Modi

Further, Siddaramaiah lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his allies over the recurring demand for his resignation.

"Did the Prime Minister (Modi as the then Gujarat chief minister) resign in the Godhra incident as FIR was done (then)? (HD) Kumaraswamy (JD-S leader) is in Modi's government, he is on bail, has he given resignation?" Siddaramaiah asked.

"Have they given resignation? Are they not embarrassed? I will not resign. I will fight legally.

"Let them get Kumaraswamy's resignation, he is on bail. He is in whose Cabinet, in which government? He should give (resignation first). Did Modi resign? Despite hundreds of people dying, he did not resign. I have done no wrong, there is no need for me to resign," he added.

The MUDA ‘scam’

The order of the Special Court Judge, Santhosh Gajanan Bhat, came a day after the high court upheld the sanction granted by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to conduct an investigation against Siddaramaiah on the allegations of illegalities in the allotment of 14 sites to his wife BM Parvathi by MUDA.

In the MUDA site allotment case, it is alleged that compensatory sites were allotted to Siddaramaiah's wife in an upmarket area in Mysuru, which had higher property value as compared to the location of her land which had been acquired by the MUDA.