Bengaluru, 3 Sept

State Congress called for the disqualification of Chhalavadi Narayanaswamy, the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council. On Tuesday, Saleem Ahmed, the Chief Whip of the Legislative Council, along with a delegation of current and former Congress members, met with Governor Thawarchand Gehlot to submit a formal request for Narayanaswamy's disqualification.

Congress’s move follows allegations levelled by BJP MP Lahar Singh against party president Mallikarjun Kharge's family, accusing them of receiving land illegally. In response, Congress leaders have accused Narayanaswamy of misusing land originally allocated for a school and subsequently repurposed for commercial use. According to Congress, the land is now home to a biryani hotel

The controversy dates back to Narayanaswamy's tenure with the Karnataka Housing Board (KHB) from November 2002 to May 2005. During this period, Narayanaswamy allegedly used his political influence to acquire 25,841 square feet of Civic Amenities (CA) land in Hoskote for a school, paying Rs 12.27 lakh for the plot. However, instead of building a school, the land was reportedly repurposed for telecommunications and public service and is now used for commercial purposes.

Saleem condemned Narayanaswamy's actions, stating that the land's original purpose was to serve educational needs, and the subsequent use for telecommunications and then a commercial establishment was a clear violation of KHB regulations.

Congress has further accused Narayanaswamy of similar misconduct in securing an industrial plot in Hebbal, Mysuru and has called for legal action under Sections 316 and 318 of the Indian Penal Code for cheating and breach of trust. -Salar News