The Karnataka Congress has altered the intent of the major rally which is set to take place on December 5 in the Hassan district. The event which was originally intended to show support for Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, will now take place under the Congress’ name, as per reports. The event which was named ‘Siddaramaiah Swabhimani Janandolana Samavesha’ has been now renamed to ‘Jana Kalyana Samavesha’, as per reports.
While speaking to reporters, Deputy chief minister and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president DK Shivakumar: “This is a Congress programme under my leadership and the KPCC. We want to communicate the development we have achieved and the lies spread by the BJP and JD(S), which have not worked. It is the people’s mandate that matters.”
He further added, “Congress is a big party with a big history. If I want to participate as the president of the party, it should be under our banner. If the chief minister has to participate, it should be under Congress’ banner. I have made it very clear, and they have agreed. Under our leadership, it is going on. I’m presiding over the meeting.”
When asked if Siddaramaiah’s loyalists were upset with the decision, Shivakumar said, “That is false. They are doing their job. No one is a D K Shivakumar supporter or a Siddaramaiah supporter. Everyone is a Congress supporter.”
The event, originally aimed at mobilising support for Siddaramaiah amid an investigation into the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment scam.
MUDA scam case update
On December 3, the ED said that evidence of several irregularities have been detected in the transfer of 14 sites by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) to BM Parvathi, the wife of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The federal agency, in a recent communication sent to the Karnataka Lokayukta department, also claimed that its probe has also found that MUDA had “illegally” allotted a total of 1,095 sites in benami and other such transactions.
Meanwhile, the ED is conducting a money laundering investigation against Siddaramaiah, Parvathi, the CM’s brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy, Devaraju — from whom Mallikarjuna Swamy purchased the land under probe and gifted it to Parvathi — and some others after taking cognisance of a Karnataka Lokayukta Police FIR filed against them.
The CM, who has been questioned by the Lokayukta in this case, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing by him or his family, saying these were politically motivated charges against him as the opposition was “scared” of him.