Siddaramaiah Fights Back: Karnataka CM Files Petition Against Prosecution In High Court

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has filed a petition in the High Court, challenging Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot's decision to allow his prosecution concerning alleged irregularities involving the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA).

The High Court is set to hear the case at 2.30 pm today (19 August), with senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi representing Siddaramaiah.

Governor Gehlot recently granted Lokayukta the authority to prosecute the Chief Minister regarding the alleged land scam, a move initiated following requests from social activists T J Abraham, Snehamai Krishna from Mysuru, and Pradeep Kumar SP from Bengaluru.

Abraham had sought the prosecution's sanction in July, leading the Governor to issue a show cause notice to Siddaramaiah, India Today reported.

The Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress in Karnataka are locked in a heated battle over the Governor’s decision. The BJP is demanding Siddaramaiah’s resignation, citing the gravity of the allegations, while the Congress has dismissed such demands.

Siddaramaiah has dismissed the charges as a "political vendetta" orchestrated by the opposition to destabilise his government. He asserted that he has the full support of his cabinet, the high command, and all MLAs and MLCs.

The MUDA land scam revolves around a 3.16-acre parcel of land in Kesaru village, owned by Siddaramaiah’s wife, Parvathi. MUDA had acquired this land to develop a layout and, as compensation, Parvathi was allocated 14 premium sites in Vijayanagar in 2022 under a 50:50 scheme.

However, activists have raised concerns that the land allocated to Parvathi was of significantly higher value compared to the location of her original land acquired by MUDA.