Bengaluru, Jul 26 (IANS): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has submitted a memorandum to the Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, demanding him to direct Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to submit his resignation and to handover the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The BJP legislators held a protest march from the Vidhana Soudha to Raj Bhavan to submit the memorandum.
The development has assumed significance in the backdrop of the social activist T.J. Abraham announcing that he will meet the Governor on Friday to seek consent for prosecution against CM Siddaramaiah in connection with the MUDA scam.
The memorandum said, "We as a responsible Opposition party of the state, urge the Governor to please consider the apprehensions of the larger public, especially those from the SC/STs, citizens of Mysuru district and also of the state."
"We request you to direct Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to submit his resignation since his family are themselves the beneficiaries of illegal land transactions and unlawful gaining of developed sites."
"This scam is worth around Rs 4,000 to 5,000 crore and he (CM Siddaramaiah) being the head of the state may not allow fair probe (investigations) into it. Entrust the full investigation of the MUDA scam to CBI transferring it from the state-appointed committees,” the memorandum added.
Speaking to media persons after meeting the Governor, State BJP President B.Y. Vijayendra said that BJP along with their NDA ally JD (S), will discuss and decide on the future course of action concerning the MUDA scam and the Valmiki Tribal Development Corporation scam in the coming days.
State BJP President Vijayendra accused the Congress government of "intimidating tactics" by filing FIRs against the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and holding protests against it.
He said that the Karnataka High Court had stayed the FIR against the ED.
He criticised Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, stating that the latter was scared of being implicated in the Valmiki Tribal Welfare Board scam.
He expected Siddaramaiah to hold a detailed discussion on the MUDA scam and challenge the opposition parties BJP and JD(S) accusing him of running away from the discussion.
The State BJP President also added that the Governor had called the Chief Minister on Thursday and sought clarifications regarding the MUDA scam.
"We will wait and see," he said.
Leader of the Opposition (LoP), R. Ashoka, said that the Congress government was involved in huge corruption cases.
He pointed out that no ruling party has ever faced such humiliation in the history of any Assembly.
He accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who had taken an oath to protect and uphold the Constitution, of violating it.
The LoP claimed that the Opposition was not allowed to speak in the Assembly and alleged that the Speaker U.T. Khader was also biased towards the Congress government.
He demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, stating that he had lost the moral right to hold the top constitutional post, adding that the BJP had submitted a memorandum to the Governor in this regard.