In Karnataka, the ongoing protest by the combined Opposition namely BJP and JD(S), continued on Friday, demanding Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's resignation over the alleged Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment scam. The protest, which began as a foot march from Bengaluru to Mysuru, has spanned a week and aims to highlight the purported fraudulent allotment of land, including plots allegedly given to Siddaramaiah's wife, Parvathi.
The seventh day of the 'Mysuru Chalo' march kicked off in Srirangapatna, Mandya district, covering a distance of 10 km. As this protest unfolds, the Congress is hosting a major "Janandolana" convention at Maharaja's College Grounds in Mysuru to rally support for Siddaramaiah and counter the opposition’s claims.
The BJP and JD(S) protest march will culminate on Saturday with a large rally in Mysuru. Prominent figures such as BJP state president B Y Vijayendra, former Deputy Chief Minister C N Ashwath Narayan, and former BJP national general secretary C T Ravi, among others, have joined the march, which has seen significant participation from women workers.
Today's march featured workers and leaders from both parties, who marched with flags and placards, chanting slogans against Siddaramaiah and the Congress government, accompanied by the rhythm of drums.
The protest journey began on August 3 at Kengeri, covering various distances each day, including 16 km on the first day to Bidadi, 22 km on the second day to Kengal, 20 km on the third day to Nidaghatta, and so on, reaching Srirangapatna on the sixth day.
The controversy centers on the allegation that compensatory sites were allotted to Parvathi Siddaramaiah in a more valuable area of Mysuru, compared to her original land. The MUDA's scheme involved allotting 50% of developed land to land losers in exchange for their undeveloped land, leading to claims of a massive Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000 crore scam by BJP leaders.
In response, the Congress government established a one-person inquiry commission led by former High Court Judge Justice P N Desai on July 14 to investigate the allegations. Following a petition by advocate-activist T J Abraham, Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot issued a "show-cause notice" on July 26, asking Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to explain why prosecution should not be pursued.
The Karnataka government advised the Governor to withdraw the notice on August 1, alleging misuse of the Governor’s office and claiming a concerted effort to destabilize the democratically elected government. The Governor is currently considering options regarding the petition for prosecuting the Chief Minister.
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