Trouble for CM Siddaramaiah as governor sanctions prosecution against him in alleged MUDA 'scam'

News Network
August 17, 2024

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Karnataka Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot has sanctioned prosecution against state chief minister and Congress leader Siddaramaiah over allegations in connection with the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment ‘scam’, sources said.

Gehlot has sanctioned the prosecution under section 17 of Prevention of Corruption Act and Section 18 of Bharat Nyaya Sanhita.

Governor Geholt in his prosecution sanction order mentioned that prima facie satisfied that allegations and supporting material discolose commission of offences.

As per the information, the chief minister’s legal team is likely to challenge the order before Karnataka High Court on Saturday. Siddaramaiah would likely approach the high court challenging the reasoning given in the order arguing that the Governor has acted in haste and passed the order.

Karnataka home minister G Parameshwara hit out at the BJP and assured support to the chief minister. “It is clear through this move that there was pressure from the Center on the Governor. Central government has misused the Governor office. The question of CM resignation will not arise now. We are all with Siddaramaiah,” he said.

Karnataka minister MB Patil also accused the BJP of destabiling the current Congress government with such actions.

“BJP in Centre is doing same thing in Karnataka, as they are doing in other non BJP Ruled states. Nothing is related to Karnataka CM, this was a MUDA mistake, nothing is linked with CM. He never asked anything about this, all this happened when there was BJP government. Governor is working on behalf of Centre, this is attempt to save HD Kumaraswamy. We will take this to court and the court will give justice to us. We will go to people of Karnataka, and will tell them that how BJP is trying to destabilise current govt,” he said.

Congress leader Priyank Kharge also hit out at the BJP-led central government and said that Raj Bhavan is being misused as the BJP’s tool to undermine a democratically elected government.

“The Karnataka Governor’s decision to sanction the prosecution of CM @siddaramaiah in the MUDA case has been orchestrated by the Central Government. Raj Bhavan is being misused as the BJP’s tool to undermine a democratically elected government. The Constitutional head of the State is sparking a constitutional crisis to appease his political masters. The Central Government may throw its full weight behind this, but we stand firm with the Constitution on our side. #SatyamevaJayate,” he said.

The Governor had earlier issued a show cause notice to the CM asking why permission should not be given to prosecute him. In reply, the Karnataka cabinet “strongly recommended” that the governor withdraw the notice issued to the chief minister.

The Governor shoot down the cabinets advise, and said, “it would then lead to situation where people on power break the law with impunity knowing that requisite sanction won’t be granted.”

Meanwhile, the BJP has demanded the resignation of the chief minister. Party leader BY Vijayendra said Siddaramaiah should resign in the back drop of Governor providing prosecution sanction, and make way for impartial probe.

Earlier on Tuesday, a special court adjourned the hearing of two private complaints against Siddaramaiah to August 20 and 21.

Siddaramaiah had termed the allegations as baseless and accused the opposition BJP and JD(S) of trying to tarnish his image by levelling false allegations. He said that he will not be cowed down by such things.

He asserted that he will fight against the charges both politically and legally, and will expose opposition leaders H D Kumaraswamy, B S Yediyurappa, B Y Vijayendra and Leader of Opposition in Assembly R Ashoka among others, and the scams in which they are allegedly involved, and take action against them based on inquiry reports.

“We (Congress) organised the Janandolana conventions against their (opposition) padayatre. We have told the people that they are lying, they are doing the padayatre (foot march) with false allegations. They are trying to create a black mark on Siddaramaiah’s image. They are trying to dislodge this government that has come to power with the blessings of the people,” Siddaramaiah said.

WHAT IS MUDA SCAM?

In the MUDA ‘scam’, it is alleged that compensatory sites were allotted to Siddaramaiah’s wife Parvathi in an upmarket area in Mysuru, which had higher property value as compared to the location of her land which had been “acquired” by the MUDA.

The MUDA had allotted plots to Parvathi under a 50:50 ratio scheme in lieu of 3.16 acres of her land, where MUDA developed a residential layout. Under the controversial scheme, MUDA allotted 50 per cent of developed land to the land losers in lieu of undeveloped land acquired from them for forming residential layouts.

Opposition and some activists have also claimed that the Parvathi had no legal title over 3.16 acres of land.

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News Network
November 24,2025

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Israel has launched a new act of aggression on a residential neighborhood in Lebanon's capital, Beirut, killing and injuring about two dozen civilians.

The Israeli regime's military said in a statement that its forces carried out a so-called precise strike in a residential apartment in Dahiyeh in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Sunday.

The aggression targeted residential areas, killing at least five people and injuring more than 28 people, Lebanon's Health Ministry said. 

Hezbollah announced the martyrdom of senior Hezbollah commander Haytham Ali Tabatabai and four resistance fighters.

Lebanese President Michel Aoun condemned the airstrike, calling it a clear demonstration of Tel Aviv’s disregard for repeated international calls to halt violations on Lebanese soil.

“Israel refuses to implement international resolutions and all efforts aimed at ending the escalation and restoring stability,” Aoun said, urging the international community to take action to prevent further aggression.

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement also condemned the attack, holding the international community accountable. 

“The international community bears responsibility and continues to provide cover for these attacks as long as it does not restrain the occupiers,” said Ali Abu Shahin, a member of the group’s political bureau.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced that the Israeli army carried out a strike “in the heart of Beirut."

Netanyahu reportedly approved the operation following recommendations from top Israeli security officials.

Two senior US officials commented on the Israeli strike.

The first official said that Israel did not notify Americans in advance about the attack. "We were informed immediately after the strike was carried out."

The second senior official said that the "US knew for several days that Israel was planning to escalate its strikes in Lebanon, but did not know in advance the timing, location, or target of the strike."

Speaking from the site of the Israeli strike, Lebanese MP Ali Ammar condemned the attack as part of a broader campaign of aggression that has targeted "all of Lebanon since the Washington-sponsored ceasefire."

He stated that "any attack on Lebanon is a violation of red lines; this aggression is part and parcel of the entity that targets Lebanon's dignity, sovereignty, and security of citizens."

Ammar went on to say the resistance is responding with "utmost wisdom, patience, and will confront the enemy at the appropriate time."

"Unfortunately, the enemy is emboldened to commit its aggression by voices within Lebanon that have turned themselves into tools that support its aggression," he added.

The Israeli attack on the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital is the latest blatant violation of the ceasefire Israel signed with Hezbollah in November 2024, which was intended to end hostilities that had escalated into full-scale war.

An Israeli strike on the Ain al-Hilweh camp near Sidon in southern Lebanon late Tuesday killed at least 14 people. It wounded several others, including young students, according to the Lebanese health ministry.

The military claimed the attack targeted “a Hamas training compound” used to plan and carry out attacks against the regime -- a claim that has frequently been made without evidence.

Hamas rejected the allegations as “a blatant lie aimed at justifying the massacre,” stating it had “no military installations in the Palestinian camps in Lebanon” and that the targeted site was merely “an open sports field.”

According to Lebanese authorities, Israeli attacks have killed approximately 4,000 people and displaced more than 1.2 million residents across the country since October 2023.

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News Network
November 22,2025

Mangaluru: Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy C H has warned of strict action against individuals spreading rumours and attempting to create insecurity within the Muslim community and fuel hatred between Hindus and Muslims through social media.

Referring to a recent social media post alleging that police personnel had entered a masjid premises to check whether beef was being cooked, the commissioner said miscreants were attempting to push their communal agenda. 

“A group of people, both from Mangaluru and abroad, are trying hard to spread rumours. For the past 10 days, they have been attempting to rake up old issues, highlight routine matters as controversies, or fabricate news altogether,” he said.

He reiterated that any such attempts to disturb communal harmony would invite legal action. “Cases will be registered and the accused will be brought to book,” he stated.

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News Network
November 21,2025

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An Indian Air Force (IAF) Tejas fighter jet crashed on Friday, November 21, afternoon during its aerial demonstration at the Dubai Air Show, plunging to the ground at around 2:10 pm local time while performing a manoeuvre before thousands of spectators.

The IAF confirmed the incident, stating that a Tejas aircraft participating in the show had crashed and that further details were being gathered. An Air Force spokesperson said more information would be shared after initial assessments.

The crash sent thick black smoke billowing into the sky near the airport, causing panic among visitors, including families and children who had gathered to watch the display. Authorities have not yet confirmed whether the pilot managed to eject before the aircraft went down. Emergency response teams rushed to the scene, and officials have not released information on casualties or damage so far.

The Tejas is a 4.5-generation, multi-role fighter aircraft developed indigenously by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). Designed for versatility, it is capable of offensive air support, close combat, ground attack missions and maritime operations. The aircraft family includes single-seat fighters and twin-seat trainers for both the Air Force and Navy.

HAL describes the latest version, the LCA Mk1A, as the most advanced in the series, featuring an AESA radar, an upgraded electronic warfare suite with radar-warning and self-protection jamming, smart multifunction displays, a digital map generator, a combined interrogator–transponder system and a modern radio altimeter. These enhancements significantly improve the aircraft’s combat capability and survivability.

Further updates from IAF and UAE authorities are awaited.

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