Yediyurappa had accused former PM Deve Gowda of ‘loot’ in MUDA: Congress

Bengaluru: Seeking to turn the tables against the opposition, the ruling Congress in Karnataka on Saturday released proceedings of the Legislative Council of March 2011, in which the then Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa had accused JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda of “looting” the sites of the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA). The Karnataka Congress even dared BJP leaders to press for a probe into the matter.

BJP and JD(S) are now alliance partners. With this, the Congress plans to counter the BJP and JD(S) that have been making charges against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in connection with alleged fraudulent allotment of sites to land losers by MUDA, which involves plots given to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife Parvathi.

“Does BJP leaders have the guts to seek an investigation into what Yediyurappa had alleged on the floor of the Legislative Council against Deve Gowda’s family? Why is the BJP quiet now?” State Congress communications chief Ramesh Babu told reporters.

Urging BJP to make public the names of all party leaders who obtained sites, he alleged that, “It was during the BJP’s tenure that most scams took place in MUDA.” As per the Legislative Council proceedings that has been released, Yediyurappa raised the issue during a discussion on March 17, 2011, when D H Shankaramurthy was presiding over as the Chairman. Addressing the then Leader of the Opposition in the Council Motamma, Yediyurappa as per the proceedings said: “In Mysuru’s MUDA, members of one family took 48 sites. In that, H D Kumaraswamy (Gowda’s son and former CM) got 300x200 ft site no. 17(B) and another site no. 17(B1) 75x280 ft. On such a large scale, sites were given during Deve Gowda’s time.” “...on a single day, during Deve Gowda’s time, 48 sites were allotted to him and his daughters-in-law. Doesn’t this amount to looting? Isn’t this daylight robbery? Nobody is ready to discuss this,” he further said.