The BJP on Friday criticised the Congress over the Karnataka government’s decision to withdraw the general consent to the CBI to probe cases in the state amid the MUDA land allotment row, describing it as a response of a “professional thief and a corrupt party”.

Terming the Congress government’s move a bid to evade a CBI probe into the MUDA “scam” allegedly involving Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said the decision depicted a “guilty mind” in itself.

“Thousands of crores have been usurped in the MUDA scam. After this, the Congress has done what is expected from any certified ‘chor and lootera’ (thief and robber).

To evade the long hand of law, it has withdrawn the general consent given to the CBI to investigate in the state,” he said.

“The Congress is behaving like a professional thief and a professional corrupt party. First to err and then go brazen about it, this is the attitude and approach of the Congress in Karnataka and other states where it is in power,” Poonawalla added.

Opposition parties in Karnataka have alleged that the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) has fraudulently allotted sites to people who lost land to other development projects, including Siddaramaiah’s wife Parvathi.

Poonawalla alleged that Siddaramaiah was following the “same approach” of the Congress since his alleged involvement in the MUDA scam worth Rs 5,000 crore surfaced, and demanded his resignation as chief minister.

“When Narendra Modiji was chief minister of Gujarat, several cases were (registered) against him and the central probe agency was unleashed on him... Yet, being the chief minister, Narendra Modi ji cooperated fully with every investigation,” he said. 

“This is the difference between a morally upright individual and one with a guilty conscience,” Poonawalla said.

Amid the MUDA land allotment row, the Karnataka government on Thursday withdrew general consent given to CBI to investigate cases in the state as it alleged that the federal agency was “biased”.

Announcing the decision after a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil said, “It is clear that the CBI or the Central government are not using their instrumentalities judiciously.”

The move came amid demands by the opposition BJP to hand over the MUDA site allotment case to the CBI.

The BJP spokesperson dismissed the Karnataka government’s accusation against the CBI and said the Congress has no problem with the central probe agency when it “suits” the party’s interest.

“They approached the CBI and ED with a complaint in the Delhi liquor scam and put up posters across Delhi calling Arvind Kejriwal a thief after the CBI took action,” he added.