MUDA 'scam' | BJP to hold 'day-and-night' dharna in Karnataka Assembly, Council

The BJP in Karnataka on Wednesday (July 24) announced that it would stage "day-and-night" dharna in both Legislative Assembly and Council over not allowing discussion regarding the alleged fraudulent allotment of sites to land losers by Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA), which involves plots given to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's wife.

The Opposition was not allowed to discuss the issue in both the Houses today. The legislature session is slated to end on Friday.

Assembly Speaker UT Khader rejected the opposition's adjournment motion notice on the matter.

Opposition slams govt

While the ruling Congress, citing rules, urged the Speaker not to allow discussion on the issue, the Opposition BJP, claiming that a needle of suspicion is pointing to the family of the "most important person" of the state, demanded that it be allowed.

The Opposition also alleged a political motive behind formation of the inquiry commission to probe the matter and said it was aimed at denying the House an opportunity to debate the issue.

"After hearing both sides, as the adjournment notice that the opposition has given is not an urgent matter and as an inquiry commission has been constituted under a retired judge to probe the charges, also as the matter is also not of immediate occurrence, it has been rejected," the Speaker ruled.

As the Leader of Opposition R Ashoka stood to press for adjournment motion on the issue, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil, citing rules under "Procedures and Conduct of Business in Karnataka Legislative Assembly", said the issues that are before any tribunals or commissions or authority or courts for adjudication generally cannot be allowed in the form of an adjournment motion.

He also noted that as per the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952 a single member inquiry commission was constituted by the government under former High Court Judge Justice P N Desai to probe the charges on July 14, 2024.

‘Govt scared of debate’

Later speaking to reporters, Ashoka said: "Congress has 136 MLAs. When we brought an adjournment motion regarding Rs 4,000 crore loot in MUDA scam, the government was scared and was running away (from discussion). They have passed key bills including the finance bill without discussion. This government is (of) cowards, they don't have the courage to respond to MUDA allegations in the House." If the government had any "shame or self esteem," it should have said on the floor of the House that the CM had taken 14 sites in a legal manner, and so did his supporters.

"It is a Rs 4,000 crore scam. More than one lakh square feet of land that belonged to Dalits has been looted.....we wanted to raise this issue, we were not allowed...the Speaker's conduct in favour of the ruling party is condemnable....Condemning this conduct of the ruling party and the Speaker of suppressing the opposition voice, we are declaring day and night protest. All our MLAs and MLCs will protest day and night against this government," he added.

Vijayendra targets CM

State BJP president and MLA B Y Vijayendra too said both in the Assembly and Council "we will hold overnight protest to ensure that injustice is not meted out to Dalits, sites given to Chief Minister's family are taken back and also over 5,000 sites that were illegally allocated." He accused the Chief Minister of running away from discussion on the MUDA scam by not giving an opportunity to discuss it.

"If he had courage he should have told the Speaker to allow for discussion. The Speaker has been misused for not allowing the discussion and the opposition is being suppressed." It is alleged that compensatory sites were allotted to Siddaramaiah's wife Parvathi 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.

Controversial scheme

MUDA had allotted plots to Parvathi under a 50:50 ratio scheme in lieu of 3.16 acres of her land, where MUDA developed a residential layout.

The controversial scheme envisages allotting 50 per cent of developed land to the land loser in lieu of undeveloped land acquired for forming layouts.

Meanwhile, amidst the din in the Assembly with the opposition insisting on a discussion over the MUDA scam, four bills -- The finance bill proposing supplementary budget of Rs 8,573.72 crore tabled by the Chief Minister, GST (Amendment) Bill, Irrigation (Amendment) Bill, and Municipality and Other Laws Bill -- were passed.

The amendment bills pertained to Medical Registration and Other Law, SC/ST/OBC Reservation of Appointment, Parks Preservation, land revenue and, ancient and historical monuments and archaeological sites and remains, among others, were also tabled in the Assembly.

(With agency inputs)