Bengaluru, 24 July

Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh has named six prominent members from BJP and JD(S) who allegedly received alternative sites from Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA). This comes amid ongoing allegations of irregularities in land allotments by the authority.

Among those named from the JD(S) are Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel HD Kumaraswamy, MLC CN Manjegowda, MLA GT Devegowda and MLA Sa Ra Mahesh. From BJP, H Vishwanath and Mahadevaswamy were mentioned.

"These names will be presented before a judicial commission,” Suresh said at Vidhana Soudha here on Friday. The report, submitted to the press by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Suresh, indicated that Kumaraswamy was allotted 21,000 square feet by MUDA in Mysuru. BJP leaders Vishwanath and others were also allocated land in Mysuru, while JD(S) MLA Devegowda received alternative land in Madagalli and Devanur villages.

Addressing the allegations raised against him by BJP-JD(S), Siddaramaiah defended the allocations and produced letters written by Kumaraswamy to MUDA in 2000, 2017, and 2019, requesting alternative sites. Siddaramaiah said, "If Kumaraswamy can request alternative land, why can't we?”

Siddaramaiah said a panel headed by Justice PN Desai, a Judge of High Court of Karnataka, is investigating the case.

Kumaraswamy refuted the allegations made by Siddaramaiah, saying, “I wrote a letter in 2017 as Sa Ra Mahesh requested me to get a fair site. Even after 40 years, I have not been given an alternative site. If I get the land, I will transfer it to Siddaramaiah or Suresh." – Salar News