MUDA case: K'taka BJP raises manipulation charge on Justice Desai commission's clean chit to K'taka CM

Bengaluru, Sep 5 A day after the report of a one-man judicial commission headed by P.N. Desai gave a clean chit to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his family members in connection with the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) case, and recommended action against officials instead, the BJP raised accusations of "manipulation" on Friday.

Speaking to the media on Friday in Bengaluru at the BJP's office, N. Ravikumar, Chief Whip of the Opposition in the Legislative Council claimed, “The report of Justice Desai’s commission has been systematically manipulated to rescue CM Siddaramaiah from the MUDA case and to give him a clean chit."

"But the truth is that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is 100 per cent guilty in the MUDA case. Didn’t he himself say that if Rs 60 crore is paid, sites will be returned? Later, he went back on his word, and we all know that,” Ravikumar stated.

Ravikumar further alleged, “In the MUDA matter, Siddaramaiah is completely guilty. On the clean chit issue, much has been covered up. I don’t know how it has been managed, but it has been done. Siddaramaiah’s is the most corrupt government."

On land acquisition for industries, Ravikumar said, “The BJP opposes acquiring lands forcibly in the name of industrial projects while ignoring farmers’ objections. Lands must be taken only after convincing the farmers and securing their consent. Otherwise, we will also launch an agitation in support of the farmers.”

He further said, “We are not against providing land for industries, industries are necessary. We are against the manner in which the government is acquiring land.”

Commenting on the use of ballot papers instead of EVMs in local body polls, he stated, "

“If ballot papers are used, counting will take 2–3 days. Just because the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has said so, discarding EVMs and conducting elections through ballot papers is something the BJP will not accept," he asserted.

Ravikumar further stated, "We will take this issue to the people. Didn’t your Congress government come to power in Telangana and Himachal Pradesh through these very EVMs?”

“The government has decided to discard EVMs and conduct elections with ballot papers in Karnataka. But your government itself came to power through EVMs. CM Siddaramaiah and Dy CM D.K. Shivakumar’s Congress party won 136 MLAs’ seats, MLC and MP elections too. The Supreme Court has given several judgments stating that nothing illegal happens through EVMs. Even High Court judgments support this,” he pointed out.

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