Siddaramaiah Responds to HC Order on Plot Case

Bengaluru: Reacting to the dismissal of his writ petition challenging the grant of sanction to prosecute him in the alleged irregularities in distribution of plots to his wife by Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) in Mysuru city, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the High Court ordered investigation against him under Section 17 A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and clarified not an order for his prosecution.

At a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said by ordering for an investigation does not mean that I have committed something wrong. The High Court in its order rejected prosecution sought against me under Section 218 of Bharatiya Nagarika Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 and Section 19 of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

He pointed out the Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot had rejected prosecution sought by petitioners under Section 19 of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 before he accorded sanction against me.

“I will consult legal experts, president of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Ministerial colleagues to decide on future course of action,” he said and stated “I will react more to the High Court judgement after going through the order in detail.”

He said he did not fear conspiracy hatched by opposition leaders of Bharatiya Janata Party and Janata Dal Secular since he has the backing of high command, Ministers, leaders and voters of the State.

“Bharatiya Janata Party under Prime Minister Narendra Modi not only targets me but all governments run by opposition parties are being targeted by BJP, accused the Chief Minister and stated both alliance partners BJP and JDS have never ascended to power in Karnataka on people’s mandate but through backdoor politics.

“We won 136 in 2023 Assembly polls, they (BJP) tried to poach Congress MLAs through offering money and failed. But our MLAs refrained from falling to attempts of BJP. Our programmes for the poor were opposed by BJP-JDS and constantly trying to tarnish the image of the Congress led State Government,” said Siddaramaiah.