Union Minister Prahlad Joshi calls for CBI inquiry in MUDA scam, asks Karnaraka CM to resign

Bengaluru (Karnataka): Following Karanataka High Court's dismissal of the petition filed by Siddaramaiah challenging Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot's approval on conducting an investigation in the alleged Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Tuesday demanded a CBI inquiry, urging Siddaramaiah to step down as the Chief Minister of the state.

"There are more than 500-1000 sites allocated to other people also illegally. Most of them have happened in the last few months and hence they have to be investigated. Henceforth, the Chief Minister of Karnataka has to resign for the investigation to be conducted impartially," Joshi said.

The Dharwad BJP MP further said that the Karnataka High Court's ruling pertaining to the MUDA scam stands as an "eye opener" for the current Congress government in power in Karnataka.

"After such a detailed hearing, the facts which have come out, it is really an eye opener for all the people in power. This is a huge scam and it can't happen without any political influence. I strongly urge Chief Minister to resign and demand for the investigation by the CBI," Joshi said while speaking to ANI.

Reacting to the judgement, BJP MP Jagadish Shettar said that the Karnataka Chief Minister should resign on "moral grounds" so that there can be "impartial investigation".

"Now impartial investigation has to be started after filing the FIR against the CM. When his name is involved, his wife's name is there, I insist the CM to resign immediately on moral grounds. He has to allow an impartial investigation of MUDA scam...It is a landmark decision and it has been pronounced by the High Court as per the legal purview," Shettar said.

Reacting to the judgement, Karnataka BJP president BY Vijayendra said, "BJP has been relentlessly fighting against the corrupt Congress government. We have been fighting against the corrupt CM Siddaramaiah...When BJP took up the issue of MUDA scam...HC said that the petition challenged by the CM has been dismissed. The judge has observed that all are equal before the law. At this juncture I demand CM Siddaramiah ji to resign."

However, despite the an adverse verdict from the Karnataka High Court on the Governor's nod to sanction prosecution against Siddaramaiah, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said that there is no question of resignation and this is "political conspiracy" by the BJP.

Speaking to reporters, DK Shivakumar said, "There is no question (of resignation) by CM. He has not done anything wrong. He is not involved with any scam. This is a political conspiracy by the BJP to all of us, to all the opposition leaders of the country...so there is no question of why Chief Minister done anything wrong, they are creating problem. We stand by him, we support him. He has been doing a good work for the country, party and state."

Shivakumar further denied the setback to the Chief Minister and iterated that there is a "big conspiracy" against all the leaders of the Congress. However, he asserted that the party respects the legal system of the country.

The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday dismissed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's petition challenging the approval given by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot for conducting investigation against him in the alleged illegalities in Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) allotting sites to his wife.

In his judgment the single judge bench of Justice Nagaprasanna said that the order of sanction for prosecution does not suffer from non-application of mind by the Governor.

It is alleged that MUDA illegally allotted 14 sites to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's wife in the prime location of Mysuru city. The High Court, in its interim order passed on August 19, had granted a temporary relief to Siddaramaiah by directing a special court in Bengaluru to defer further proceedings and not to take any precipitative action pursuant to the sanction granted by the Governor.