Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah defends land allotment to wife amid controversy

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has firmly defended himself and his family in response to allegations regarding the allotment of land by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA), which included allotments to his wife, Parvathi.

Speaking at a press conference, Siddaramaiah accused the opposition parties, BJP and JD(S), of making politically motivated claims against him, describing their actions as driven by "hate and revenge" due to their inability to accept his re-election as Chief Minister.

Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot has requested a report from the government on the alleged irregularities in MUDA.

Siddaramaiah assured that the report would be forthcoming, emphasizing that all actions were "totally and absolutely legal."

He explained that their land was originally taken by MUDA, which then developed the area into residential sites. MUDA later provided alternative sites to Parvathi after acknowledging their mistake. Siddaramaiah questioned the allegations, asking, "Is there any role of either mine or my wife or my brother-in-law in this? Our land was taken, sites were made, and they were allocated to others. So MUDA gave us as given to others, after accepting their mistake. What is the illegality in this?"

He reiterated that the allegations were false and politically motivated, aiming to tarnish his reputation. There are accusations that the alternative sites allocated to Parvathi were in a premium area of Mysuru, significantly increasing their value compared to the original land acquired by MUDA. Under a 50:50 ratio scheme, MUDA allocated 50% of the developed land to the original landowners in exchange for undeveloped land taken for the layout.

Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh noted that similar allotments were made to individuals connected to various political parties, including Union Minister and JD(S) state chief H D Kumaraswamy and other prominent figures. Suresh emphasized that these actions were legally compliant and would be reviewed by a judicial commission.

Siddaramaiah, reflecting on his long political career, stated that he had maintained a clean record and dismissed claims that the land in question was subject to the Karnataka Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prohibition of Transfer of Certain Lands) Act, known as the PTCL Act. He clarified that the land was originally acquired by a previous owner through auction in 1935 and subsequently transferred legally within the family.

MUDA had acquired the land in the 1990s, and it was denotified following an application by the former owner. The land was later sold and then gifted to Parvathi. After MUDA had developed sites on the land without permission, Parvathi sought alternative plots, which were eventually allotted to her in Vijayanagara in 2014.

Siddaramaiah concluded by stating that the allotments were in accordance with existing laws and practices and noted that he had disclosed the land in his 2013 election affidavit, following the required legal procedures.