Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
Credit: DH File Photo
Bengaluru: Hours after the Enforcement Directorate booked Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in a money laundering case, his wife Parvathi decided Monday night to relinquish the ownership and possession of 14 plots that became the harbinger of bad things for her husband.
"No site, home, asset and wealth is bigger than my husband's respect, dignity, honour and comfort," Parvathi, who is rarely seen in public, stated in her first written statement on the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam in which Siddaramaiah is facing an investigation.
In fact, never has Parvathi, the wife of one of Congress' biggest mass leaders who has spent 40 years in public life, commented on any matter. "As someone who has never expected anything from my husband for myself or my family, these sites mean nothing," she stated.
Parvathi has written to the MUDA commissioner on her decision to give up the 14 plots she was given at the Vijayanagar Layout (3rd and 4th stages) in Mysuru in lieu of 3.16 acres that was used by the planning body.
Parvathi said she did not consult her husband, son (former lawmaker Dr Yathindra) or any family member. "I took the decision conscientiously," she stated, adding that she was "hurt" by the allegations. "I hadn't imagined that plots that I received in lieu of land gifted to me by my brother would lead to such a ruckus and result in my husband face allegations unfairly," she stated.
Parvathi also answered the key question: why now? "I decided to do this (relinquish sites) the day the allegations were made. But I gave up on my decision heeding to the advise of well-wishers who said we must fight the political conspiracy and that we mustn't fall for it," she stated.
While returning the plots, Parvathi called for a "thorough" investigation into allegations in MUDA.
Parvathi stated that her husband maintained "blemish-free morality" during his 40-year political career. "I've lived a life such that he faced no embarrassment because of me. Never have I desired a home, asset or gold. I've been cautious so that I don't cause a single harm to his political life," she stated. "From afar, I felt happy and proud to see my husband receive love and admiration from people."
The BJP found Parvathi's decision futile. "This is an admission of guilt. It could have been done on day one itself," Rajya Sabha BJP MP Lahar Singh Siroya said.