BJP-JD(S) ‘Mysuru Chalo’ march to demand CM’s resignation continues on day 7
The BJP-JD(S) will conclude its protest march on Saturday with a large rally on arrival in Mysuru. (Representative)
The joint opposition BJP and JD(S) continued their protest march on Friday demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over the alleged ‘scam’ in the allotment of plots by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA).
The week-long Bengaluru-Mysuru padayatre (foot march) aimed to draw attention to the alleged fraudulent allotment of land to losers by MUDA, including Siddaramaiah’s wife Parvathi.
The seventh day of the ‘Mysuru Chalo’ protest march began at Srirangapatna in Mandya district and is expected to cover a distance of 10 km. This is even as the Congress is organising a mega ‘Janandolana’ convention at Maharaja’s College Grounds in Mysuru today in support of Siddaramaiah and to counter the Opposition’s allegations and their march.
The BJP-JD(S) will conclude its protest march on Saturday with a large rally upon arrival in Mysuru.
BJP state president and MLA BY Vijayendra, former deputy chief minister CN Ashwath Narayan, former BJP national general secretary and MLC CT Ravi, several legislators, leaders and workers from both parties participated in the resumption of the march.
The highlight of today’s march was the large-scale participation of women workers.
Large numbers of workers and leaders from both parties took out the march, shouting slogans against Siddaramaiah and the Congress government. They held flags and placards of the BJP and JD(S) and drums were beating.
The route through which the march passed was decorated at various points with flags of both parties, pennants and portraits of prominent leaders.
The march began on August 3 from Kengeri, near Bengaluru. On the first day, the march covered a distance of 16 km to reach Bidadi, 22 km on the second day to reach Kengal, 20 km on the third day to reach Nidaghatta, 20 km on the fourth day to reach Mandya city, 16 km on the fifth day to reach Tubinakere and 17 km on the sixth day to reach Srirangapatna.
In the MUDA ‘scam’, it is alleged that compensatory sites were allotted to Siddaramaiah’s wife Parvathi in a posh area of Mysuru. The property in this area was valued higher than the site of her land ‘acquired’ by the MUDA.
The MUDA had allotted plots to Parvathi on a 50:50 basis, instead of 3.16 hectares of her land, on which the MUDA had developed a residential area.
Under the controversial plan, MUDA allocated 50 percent of the developed land to the losers, instead of the undeveloped land acquired from them for the construction of residential areas.
BJP leaders claim that the scale of the MUDA “scam” is between Rs 4,000 and 5,000 crore.
On July 14, the Congress government set up a one-man inquiry committee, headed by former Justice PN Desai, to probe the MUDA ‘scam’.
Based on a petition filed by advocate-activist TJ Abraham, Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot had on July 26 issued a show-cause notice directing the Chief Minister to respond to the allegations against him within seven days, explaining why permission for prosecution against him should not be granted.
The Karnataka government on August 1 “strongly” advised the Governor to withdraw his “show-cause notice” to the Chief Minister, alleging “gross misuse of the Constitutional Office” by the Governor. The council of ministers had said after their meeting that a concerted attempt is being made to destabilise a legitimately elected majority government in Karnataka for political expediency.
The Governor would then consider options regarding the petition for approval to prosecute the Prime Minister.
(Only the headline and image of this report may have been edited by Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
First publication: Aug 09, 2024 | 12:36 PM IST