Corruption charges: Karnataka BJP seeks to turn the tables, digs out 2017 report on Siddaramaiah govt land ‘scam’

In 2014, the Congress ordered a probe into the alleged scam through the Justice Kempanna panel. The commission submitted its report in 2017, also when the Congress was in power.

The report, however, was never made public amid allegations of Siddaramaiah’s involvement in denotifying the land.

In the recent Budget session, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai read out portions of the report without tabling it.

“The commission has found out that out of the land acquired for the Arkavathy layout, a large extent 0f 868 acres and 27 guntas has been excluded from acquisition in violation of High Court (25/11/2005) and apex court (5/11/2010) orders and also the provisions of the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) and land acquisition acts. Out of the said 868 acres and 27 guntas, except 16 acres and 17-odd guntas of C category land which has been excluded on grounds of economic viability, the remaining extent of 852 acres and 19.5 guntas of land under A, B and D category of lands has been excluded only with the view to favour the owners or persons interested in the lands,” read out Bommai, saying that it “was proof of corruption under the Congress regime”.

Siddaramaiah, who was not present in the House, responded by saying that he did not denotify even one gunta of land. “When I was not present in the Assembly, Bommai shouted and created an impression that there was a big scam worth Rs 8,000 crore. The Kempanna Commission has said that I did not denotify even one gunta of land. Bommai is speaking plain lies,” he said.

“When our (Congress) government came, there was a petition in the High Court because of which there was some pressure. Our officers had said that everything was done as per the Supreme Court’s parameters and I approved it. It was not a ‘redo’, but a remodified scheme,” he said.

Countering the former CM, Bommai said the report had been prepared after gathering all pieces of evidence. “There was no question of telling lies,” he said. “It is Siddaramaiah who is bluffing. The Congress leader wrote on the document – ‘officials brought files, I have endorsed’. This means Siddaramaiah has accepted committing the mistake. What more evidence is required than this?”

Hitting back, B S Shivanna, the general secretary of the Karnataka Congress, said, “In order to cover up the wrongdoings of the BJP, the leaders have resorted to such unnecessary allegations. If they really believe the allegations were true, they could have tabled the report before the House. Even now, they can order a judicial probe.”

BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel said the government will hand over the case to the Lokayukta. “What the CM read out is the last portion of the report. We will submit all the documents to the Lokayukta so that they can conduct a probe. It is a scam and Siddaramaiah will go to jail,” he said.

Speaking to The Indian Express, a Congress leader said the BJP wanted the Congress to react “so that they (BJP) can weave a narrative against us ahead of the Assembly elections”. “It will help the government to counter anti-incumbency, especially over corruption charges,” the leader added.