‘CM Siddaramaiah must resign and make way for impartial probe’: BJP MP Tejasvi Surya

BENGALURU: Mounting pressure on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who will now face “prosecution” in the alleged MUDA scam, Bangalore South BJP MP Tejasvi Surya on Saturday said that the CM “must resign to make way for an impartial investigation”.

Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Saturday granted permission to prosecute Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the alleged Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam. Siddaramaiah has been maintaining that everything was done according to the law.

“The honourable governor of Karnataka has sanctioned prosecution against CM Siddaramaiah regarding the serious allegations he is facing in the MUDA scam. This is a very significant development. The nature of the allegations is very serious”, the BJP MP said.

“The investigating agencies will now have to start the process of prosecution. Needless to say, one cannot expect the CM to continue in office while agencies reporting to him, are investigating charges against him. So the principles of natural justice and principles of morality demand that CM Siddaramaiah must resign and make way for impartial investigation”, he added.

#WATCH | Bengaluru: On Karnataka Governor granting permission to prosecute CM Siddaramaiah in the alleged MUDA scam, BJP MP Tejasvi Surya says, “… This is a very significant development. The nature of the allegations are very serious… Needless to say, one cannot expect the CM… pic.twitter.com/d9MDH5FRe7

— ANI (@ANI) August 17, 2024

Challenging the move, the Karnataka government said they would move the High Court against the governor’s permission for prosecution. Defending the governor’s move, state BJP president BY Vijayendra said that the governor has exercised his constitutional powers.

“The Hon’ble Governor has exercised his constitutional powers and allowed legal action to be taken against the chief minister’s MUDA scam complaint”, he said in a post on X.

Senior minister in the Siddaramiah cabinet, Priyank Kharge, criticised the move and said the BJP was using the governor’s office for political motives. “Raj Bhavan is being misused as the BJP’s tool to undermine a democratically elected government. The Constitutional head of the State is sparking a constitutional crisis to appease his political masters. The Central Government may throw its full weight behind this, but we stand firm with the Constitution on our side,” Kharge said.

Earlier this month, refuting the allegations, CM Siddaramaiah said,” In the MUDA case, everything was done according to law. I have not exerted any kind of influence on the allotment of the plot. My wife has been given a replacement plot in 2021 during the period of the BJP government as per the law”.

Earlier, a complaint was filed by social activist Snehamayi Krishna against CM Siddaramaiah and nine others for allegedly forging documents to claim compensation from the Mysuru Urban Development Authority. (ANI)