ED is acting under BJP pressure and tarnishing his image in MUDA land case, says CM Siddaramaiah

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah dismissed the charges made by Enforcement Directorate (ED) that 14 sites in Mysuru were illegally allotted to his wife, calling them politically motivated, even as he faced mounting political pressure calling for his resignation.

While the ED’s investigation into the Mysore Urban Development Authority (Muda) land allotment case has stirred controversy, Siddaramaiah has hit back, calling the probe politically motivated.

The Chief Minister dismissed the allegations, citing a Karnataka High Court ruling in favor of former MUDA Commissioner Natesh, which, he argues, is applicable to the entire case. “There is no money laundering, and the ED is trying to politicise the issue. The Lokayukta is already investigating, and it is an independent body,” Siddaramaiah said, adding that the central agency is deliberately targeting him to tarnish his image.

Siddaramaiah’s son, Yathindra, refuted the allegations, asserting that his father will complete his full five-year term as Chief Minister.

“The high command, KPCC president, and all MLAs



are with him. No one has asked him to resign,” he said. Explaining the land issue, he stated, “Our family’s land was encroached upon by Muda, and we were compensated with alternative sites. The ED is deliberately dragging my father’s name under pressure from BJP leaders. No evidence of illegality has been found.”

Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara also questioned the ED’s actions, suggesting that the agency publicised the case because it involved the Chief Minister and his wife. “I don’t know about the other case, but they wouldn’t have done this if the Chief Minister’s and his wife’s names weren’t involved,” he said. However, he refrained from commenting on whether Siddaramaiah should remain in office.

BJP MLC Ravikumar, meanwhile, demanded Siddaramaiah’s immediate resignation, stating that the ED note mentioned not 14, but several illegally allotted sites connected to the Chief Minister’s family. “He must step down and cooperate with the investigation. When the allotments were made, he was the Leader of the Opposition and pressured Muda officials to allocate the sites,” Ravikumar alleged.