Mysuru (Karnataka), Jan 31 (IANS) Congress MLC Yathindra Siddaramaiah, son of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, said on Friday that attempts were being made to fix his father in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam case by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

"The ED wants to create a general opinion that CM Siddaramaiah is an accused in the case,” said Yathindra.

Talking to the media in Mysuru, Yathindra said, “The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is deliberately mentioning the name of CM Siddaramaiah in the official communications with ill will. They also very well know that about our 14 sites, there is nothing which is illegal. They also know that the sites were allotted legally. They are pressurized and the Central government is putting constant pressure on them.”

"The Karnataka BJP unit and other opposition parties are also exerting pressure to somehow fix CM Siddaramaiah and make him stand as an accused in the case. The ED is carrying what is being told to them," he charged.

Yathindra further attacked, that it is an open secret that no central agency is functioning independently not only in Karnataka but in other states as well. The ED is dancing to the tunes of the BJP. Finally, the triumph will be of truth and justice. CM Siddaramaiah has not made any mistakes and he will come out of the case with a clean image, he said.

“What evidence did they (ED) get against CM Siddaramaiah? Let them show. They are showing the seized properties of others. No property in the name of CM Siddaramaiah or our family members is seized. The name of CM Siddaramaiah is mentioned in the official statements of the ED with ill will to create a general perception and to make CM Siddaramaiah an accused and there is no truth in it,” he charged.

He clarified, “The matter of our sites is different. Our land was illegally acquired by the MUDA and 14 parallel sites were allotted. But, otherwise, the scam which had happened in the MUDA is different.”

“A few members of MUDA and others have committed a scam by promising 50:50 ratio compensation to the owners of the land who had purchased lands from farmers. That is against the law and measures are being taken to deal with it. There is no connection with the 14 sites allotted to our family with this,” he stated.

In a setback to CM Siddaramaiah, the ED provisionally attached 14 immovable properties having an approximate market value of Rs 300 crore under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, in connection with the MUDA scam on January 17.

CM Siddaramaiah is accused number one in the case and the investigation is also being conducted against others who got the illegal allotments done through the MUDA. His wife B.M. Parvathi is the second accused.

“The role of ex-MUDA commissioner D.B. Natesh has emerged as instrumental in illegal allotment of compensation sites to CM Siddaramaiah’s wife B.M. Parvathi,” said ED in a statement.

Searches conducted during the investigation further revealed that a large number of sites, other than 14 sites allotted to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife B.M. Parvathi, have been illegally allotted by MUDA as compensation to real estate businessmen, who in turn have sold these sites at a huge profit and generated big amount of unaccounted cash, the ED stated.

MLC Yathindra further commenting on the criticism regarding Maha Kumbh Mela, stated, “Who decides what’s right and what’s wrong? Whoever has faith, will attend the Kumbh Mela and take a dip. Those who do not have faith, they won’t go. It can’t be said that all should have one belief.”

“I believe in god and my father doesn’t. Despite this, we live in the same house. I will worship god, but my father doesn’t. Hence, believers and non-believers can live together. Nothing can be imposed on everyone,” Yathindra opined.

"None of the Congress leaders have criticized the Kumbh Mela. Has any leader stated that people shouldn’t go to Kumbh Mela and they should not take a dip? No one has made statements in this regard. Whoever has belief, let them attend Kumbh Mela, those who do not have faith let them not go. Everyone should have the right to live with their faith. Those who dub this comment as useless are really useless," Yathindra stated.

“AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge thinks by taking a dip in the Maha Kumbh Mela, the poverty won’t vanish. This is his belief. We have to respect his view. We should also respect the devotional feelings of people who attend the Maha Kumbh Mela. Nothing should be imposed on the people,” he pointed out.

“In Hindu religion, there are many belief systems and there is no one belief as such. The Hindu religion also includes atheists. In Hinduism, atheism is also treated as a philosophy. The religion gives such freedom..."

“Even the Haj pilgrimage is criticized. Who says, it won’t be spoken about? Atheists are present in all religions and they criticize all religions. Hindu fundamentalists are trying to impose one kind of belief system, they are real terrorists,” he said.

--IANS

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