Won’t resign on opposition’s false accusation, says Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah

Raichur, Karnataka: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday reiterated that he would not resign from his position based on the ‘false accusations’ of the opposition parties.

He said he would present the actual position before the people of the state.

“If the opposition parties demand (my) resignation based on false accusations, should I resign? We will reply to the false charges. We will tell the truth to the people,” Siddaramaiah told reporters here.

Reacting to a query on hectic political activities within Congress where Dalit and scheduled tribe leaders were meeting after the MUDA site allotment case came to light, Siddaramaiah said people are speculating unnecessarily.

“Ministers will discuss but should you speculate? People speculate when state Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi meets the AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge or Science and Technology Minister N S Boseraju meets some minister. In the past too such meetings took place and are still going on but why such speculations are gaining credence?” Siddaramaiah wondered.

On senior JD(S) MLA G T Deve Gowda backing him during the inauguration of Dasara celebrations in Mysuru, the CM said he has only explained the truth.

“G T Deve Gowda is the core committee chairperson of JD(S) and one of the members in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA). He only said the truth. What is wrong in that?” he asked.

There is mounting pressure from the opposition parties on Siddaramaiah to resign from his post after a special court ordered the Lokayukta police on September 25 to investigate him in the MUDA site allotment case.

Accordingly, the Lokayukta police on September 27 registered an FIR against Siddaramaiah, his wife Parvathi, brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy, Devaraju -- from whom Mallikarjuna Swamy purchased land and gifted it to Parvathi -- and others.

The order of the Special Court came a day after the High Court upheld the sanction granted by the Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to conduct an investigation against Siddaramaiah.

The ED has also registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), equivalent to an FIR by police, against the Chief Minister over the alleged irregularities in allotment of 14 sites to his wife by the MUDA.

The MUDA on Tuesday decided to take back the 14 plots allotted to Siddaramaiah's wife, following her decision to relinquish their ownership and possession. The MUDA has ordered to cancel the sale deed of these plots, its Commissioner A N Raghunandan had said.