MUDA Scam: Congress lodges complaint against RTI activists

Bengaluru: The Mysuru district unit of the Congress met Police Commissioner Seema Latkar on Friday and filed a complaint against RTI activists Gangaraju and Snehamayi Krishna, who brought out the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land allotment 'scam' allegedly involving Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. 

Demanding action against the activists, a delegation of Congress workers alleged that both had conspired to malign the Chief Minister's image. The delegation comprised Mysuru Rural Congress President B.J. Vijaykumar; Spokesperson and close confidante of CM Siddaramaiah, M. Laxmana; and party's Mysuru City chief R. Murthy.

Reacting to the development, Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy accused the state government of harassing RTI activists who "exposed the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land allocation scam involving the family of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah".

In a statement, Kumaraswamy said, "The opposition parties questioning scandals have been suppressed in the legislature. RTI activists dedicated to uncovering the truth are being oppressed through abuse of power."

"Police cannot stifle the truth. The records... clearly show who the real culprits of the MUDA scam are. Despite this, the state Congress is engaging in vindictive politics against the RTI activists who unearthed the truth," he added.

A complaint was filed against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and nine others for allegedly forging documents to claim compensation from the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA). The complaint, filed by social activist Snehamayi Krishna, alleges the wrongdoings of Siddaramaiah, his wife Parvathy, his brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy Devaraj, who claimed to be a landowner, and his family.

The complaint was lodged at Vijayanagar Police Station in Mysuru. It also alleges the involvement of the deputy commissioner, tehsildar, deputy registrar and MUDA officials in the same case. Along with the police, the letter has also been written to the governor, the state chief secretary and the principal secretary of the revenue department. The complainant alleged that MUDA cheated by creating fake documents and obtaining plots worth crores of rupees. Snehamayi Krishna has raised several questions in his complaint.

IANS