‘Kumaraswamy illegally approved 550 acres of forest land to unregistered company’: CM Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], August 22 (ANI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday took a dig at Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy and said that he illegally approved 550 acres of forest land to an unregistered company and now sheds tears claiming the signature isn't his.
"Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy, who illegally approved 550 acres of forest land to an unregistered company, now sheds tears, claiming, 'The signature isn't mine; it was forged.' The first chapter of your corruption saga has already been published," Siddaramaiah posted on X.
"What else is yet to come? In the MUDA alternative site allocation case, where there's neither my signature nor my note, and it didn't even happen during my tenure - yet you demand my resignation? It seems an elephant has fallen in your own backyard. Justice N Santosh Hegde's Lokayukta conducted an investigation and filed a chargesheet. Only the Governor's nod for prosecution remains," he added.
The Chief Minister claimed that Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot sanctioned his prosecution in the alleged MUDA scam based on "hearsay".
"What are you waiting for? Narendra Modi to save you? The same party that sent its own Chief Minister to jail - do you think they'll come to your rescue? To the Governor who approved my prosecution based on hearsay, H D Kumaraswamy's mining scandal documents are now public. Perhaps you should send a copy to your superiors so they may allow you to grant permission to file chargesheet against Kumaraswamy," he said.
On Thursday, Kumaraswamy said that he had no role in the case and the Congress government wanted to malign him.
"From 2011 the allegations are going that one mining allotment was issued in my tenure. The allegation is that when I was the Chief Minister in the year 2007, I favoured Sai Venkateshwara. There are allegations that I have collected 150 crores from mining owners. So I requested Lokayukta to start an inquiry about the same. They started the enquiry in 2011 and several findings have come out. That enquiry report was submitted by the Lokayukta to the Government in 2010 or 2011. There is no exchequer loss. Till now no mining area has been allocated to anyone," Kumaraswamy said.
"In my case, the Supreme Court gave the direction on the interference of the present Congress Government in the year 2014- 15 headed by Siddaramaiah. They appealed in the Court and asked for enquiry. The court permitted enquiry. The court ordered to complete the enquiry within 3 months and come up with the report. SC also directed not to go to any other court and SC will give the ultimate decision," he added. (ANI)