A special court in Bengaluru has ordered an investigation against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah by the Karnataka Lokayukta in connection with the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) case. The Lokayukta’s Mysuru district police are tasked with probing the alleged MUDA scam and are expected to submit their findings within three months.
This development comes on the heels of a recent setback for Siddaramaiah, as the Karnataka High Court upheld Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot’s approval for an investigation against him in the site allotment case. The court dismissed Siddaramaiah’s petition, stating that the gubernatorial order “nowhere suffers from want of application of mind.”
Siddaramaiah had approached the high court on August 19, challenging the sanction granted by the governor for an inquiry into alleged irregularities in the allotment of 14 prime sites to his wife by the MUDA. “The facts narrated in the petition would undoubtedly require investigation. In the teeth of the fact that the beneficiary of all these acts is not anybody outside but the family of the petitioner, the petition stands dismissed,” ruled Justice M. Nagaprasanna. The court also declared that any interim order in this matter would be dissolved.
In response to the court’s ruling, KC Venugopal, Congress general secretary for organization, took to X (formerly Twitter) to voice concerns over what he termed the “relentless misuse of the Governor’s office” by the Modi-Shah regime. Venugopal emphasized that governors are merely titular heads and should not interfere in the daily functioning of state governments. “Such attempts only show the BJP’s instincts to control Karnataka from Delhi and it is nothing but an attempt to make Karnataka kneel before the Delhi durbar,” he stated.
Venugopal further defended the Siddaramaiah-led government, asserting, “But ours is a strong government that will only listen to the people—not to the bullies of Delhi. Our party will fight this both legally and politically, against the Central Government’s nefarious motives.”
The political landscape in Karnataka is becoming increasingly contentious as the Congress party raises alarms over the actions of the Governor and the implications for state autonomy. Venugopal also drew parallels with the situation in Tamil Nadu, criticizing Governor RN Ravi for allegedly abandoning neutrality and aligning with the RSS. He reminded Ravi that secularism is a foundational tenet of the Constitution that he has sworn to uphold.
This ongoing saga underscores the tensions between the ruling Congress government in Karnataka and the BJP-led central government, as both sides prepare for a protracted battle over governance and accountability in the state.