In a setback to lingayat strongman and BJP Karnataka president BS Yeddyurappa, the Karnataka Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has filed two FIRs in connection with the land de-notification when he was the Chief Minister of the State.
According to the critiques, this has happened just after the I-T raids on powerful Congress Minister DK Shivakumar which created a political row between both the BJP and the Congress. The timing of the FIR just came after the visit of BJP national president Amit Shah who called Siddaramaiah-led Congress Government in Karnataka as most corrupt.
Four officials of Urban Development Department have been named in the FIRs. According to sources the FIRs were registered under the Prevention of Corruoption Act sections 7, 8, 13(1)(c)(d) and IPC sections 406, 420 and 120 (B).
The FIRs were filed following a complaint by former Vice-Chancellor of a private University Dr D Ayappa who has alleged that Yeddyurappa during his tenure passed 20 orders to de-notify land acquired for Dr Shivarama Karanth layout in Bengaluru city. It was alleged that Yeddyurappa misused his office and de-notified 257 acre and 20.5 Gunte of land acquired without taking approval from the de-notification Committee.
The officials whose names were named in the FIRs included Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) Special land Acquisition Officer Basavarajendra, his Principal Secretary Subir Harisingh, Assistant Commissioner SN Gowrishankar, Assistant Secretary Basavaraju, according to a release by ACB.
Yeddyurappa had to resign as the CM over de-notification issue and also serve jail term for about one month. It is now the de notification ghost has started haunting him again. It is also significant just after Amit Shah has instructed the party to fight against Siddaramaiah Government on corruption issues the State Government which control ACB has filed FIR to haunt him.
Referring to fresh FIRs filed against him by the ACB, Yeddyurappa said, “I am not afraid of FIRs. It is with political vengeance it was done. De-notifications done by me was in the public interest and not with selfish motto.” “I am not afraid even if you file 100s of such FIRs to threaten me and I will not end the agitation and see that you are pulled down from the chair,” he added.
In another development, the State BJP as per the instruction has started State-wide agitation against the Congress Government-led by Siddaramaiah. leading the agitation Yeddyurappa pledged to send Siddaramaiah to jail.
“Siddaramaiah is not taking action against tainted Ministers to safeguard his chair. But will hold detailed investigation into corruptions that has taken place during his term and send him to jail,” Yeddyurappa added.
Addressing party workers and leaders who had assembled at Freedom Park in Bengaluru on Friday, Yeddyurappa said there is no need for Prime Minister Narendra Modi or BJP president Amit Shah to come to the State. I will do it and more than six crore people of the State will teach lesson to ruling Congress in the next Assembly election.
Police took into custody many BJP leaders, including Yeddyurappa, former Deputy Chief Ministers R Ashok, KS Eshwarappa, Jagadish Shettar, CT Ravi and other leaders when they tried to march towards the Vidhana Soudha, the State Secretariat.
He also demanded dismissal of KPCC Women Wing President lakshmi Hebbalkar on whom IT raids were held under disproportionate assets case.
Pulled up by the party chief Amit Shah for its lethargic attitude over corruption in Siddaramaiah Government, the Bharatiya Janata Party in Karnataka launched state-wide agitation demanding dismissal of tainted Ministers whose offices and properties were raided by IT officials recently.