MUDA land scam: Siddaramaiah’s wife returns 14 sites, CM calls her victim of political hate

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday claimed that his wife, Parvathi B M, who has decided to relinquish ownership and possession of 14 plots allotted to her by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA), was a victim of the "politics of hate" directed at him.

He expressed surprise at her decision, stating that Parvathi, who was confined to her family, was now suffering from "psychological torture" due to the political climate, as reported by PTI.

In an online post, Siddaramaiah said that the plots had been allotted to Parvathi as compensation for land seized without proper MUDA land acquisition in Mysuru. He also alleged that opposition parties had falsely implicated his family in the controversy in an effort to generate political hatred.

"My stand was to fight without bowing down to this injustice but my wife, who is upset with the political conspiracy going on against me, has taken a decision to return these sites, which has surprised me too," Siddaramaiah noted.

He added that while his wife had never interfered in his political career of four decades, she had now become a victim of the hate politics aimed at him. He expressed his anguish but also said that he respected her choice to return the plots.

Parvathi, who is rarely seen in public, wrote to MUDA on Monday, stating her intention to surrender the 14 plots that had been allotted to her as compensation for the 3.16 acres of land that had been utilised by MUDA.

Earlier on Monday, the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) – equivalent to a police FIR – against Siddaramaiah after considering a complaint filed by the Lokayukta police regarding alleged irregularities in the allotment of the plots to Parvathi by MUDA.

In this case, it is alleged that Parvathi's compensatory plots were in an upscale area of Mysuru, which had a significantly higher property value compared to the location of her original land that had been acquired by MUDA.

The allotments were made under a controversial 50:50 scheme, in which MUDA allotted 50 per cent of developed land to landowners as compensation for undeveloped land acquired for forming residential layouts. Additionally, there are claims that Parvathi had no legal title to the 3.16 acres in question.

The Karnataka High Court had previously upheld Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot's sanction for an investigation into the Chief Minister concerning the alleged illegalities in the allotment of these plots.

Siddaramaiah, aged 76, recently stated that the opposition was "afraid" of him and that he was being unfairly targeted over the MUDA issue. He reiterated that he had committed no wrongdoing, would not resign, and intended to fight the case through legal means.