Muda scam: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah's 2013 affidavit for assembly polls under scanner

BENGALURU: Union heavy industries and steel minister HD Kumaraswamy on Saturday claimed that the alleged Mysore Development Authority (Muda) site scam involving chief minister Siddaramaiah's wife Parvathi has the potential to become a larger scandal than currently perceived. He raised questions about whether Siddaramaiah had declared the land in his affidavit filed for the 2013 assembly elections.
"It is a much bigger scam. Siddaramaiah is claiming that the 3.16 acres in question, acquired by Muda, was gifted to his wife by her brother in 2005. If that is the case, had he declared this asset in his affidavit filed for the 2013 polls? It needs to be investigated when the land title was transferred to the name of Siddaramiah's wife and whom it originally belonged to," Kumaraswamy said on the sidelines of the party's core committee meeting here.
The allegations by Kumaraswamy are expected to increase pressure on Siddaramaiah. According to the Representation of People's Act, the affidavit of a candidate contesting an assembly or parliamentary election should list the family assets and liabilities. Under the act, filing false information in an electoral affidavit is liable to be punished with the rejection of the nomination.
Kumaraswamy detailed that the land was originally owned by Jawara alias Ninga, notified for acquisition in 1992, and subsequently denotified in 1997-98. He indicated that Parvathi's brother, Mallikarjuna, purchased it in 2004 before transferring it to her through a gift deed in 2005. He stressed the need for a thorough investigation into the transactions during this period.
"This Muda scam has been discussed since last year, and I have all the documents related to it. The documents are being distributed on the streets like the pen drives were in Hassan during the Lok Sabha polls. I need not do anything since senior Congress leaders, who are behind this, themselves will take it forward," Kumaraswamy added, without naming deputy CM DK Shivakumar.
He accused urban development minister Byrathi Suresh of visiting Mysuru to whisk away documents related to the scam to Bengaluru via a special helicopter. Kumaraswamy asserted that Siddaramaiah would not escape accountability in the Muda scam, unlike the Arkavathy Layout case, which was hushed up in 2017.
Union minister Pralhad Joshi on Saturday demanded an impartial investigation into the Muda scam and appealed to the state govt to transfer it to CBI.
"Siddaramaiah should hold Ahinda convention in Hubbali only after coming out clean in the Muda scandal," Joshi said. He said the transfer of DC Dr K V Rajendra has proved the scam.
Meanwhile, H A Venkatesh| Senior Congress functionary, said: "It is not true that Javara, an SC member, was the landowner. CM Siddaramaiah's wife Parvathi owned 3.16 acres in Kesare, Mysuru. This land was used by Muda for layout development without acquiring it. In 2022, as compensation, Muda allotted her a 38,000 sqft area in the form of sites in the developed layout, which is in accordance with provisions (of law). Siddaramaiah was not the CM when Muda allotted sites to his wife in January 2022.