Senior Janata Dal (Secular) leader and Chamundeshwari MLA G.T. Deve Gowda, who is having an ambivalent relationship with his party, has defended Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah after the Lokayukta police gave him a clean chit in the probe into alleged irregularities in allotment of sites by MUDA to his wife.
Speaking to mediapersons in Mysuru on February 20, Mr. Deve Gowda criticised the hasty demands for the Chief Minister to step down, stressing that an FIR alone does not imply guilt.
‘’It is inappropriate to call for a resignation simply because an FIR has been filed. It is essential not to sow seeds of doubts in the minds of the people about persons holding responsible positions,” he remarked.
Continuing in the same vein, Mr. Deve Gowda said, if all those named in an FIR have to resign, then most ministers, including those at the Centre, have to resign. Merely registering an FIR does not imply guilt, he added.
He repeated his earlier remarks that the CM’s wife Parvathi, who was the alleged beneficiary in the MUDA scam, was never in public life and her brother Mallikarjunaswamy was not into big-time real estate development. “People are seeking Mr. Siddaramaiah’s resignation just because Mallikarjunaswamy is the brother-in-law of the CM, which is not correct,” he added.
Mr. Deve Gowda responded to accusations related to the controversial 50:50 land development formula, saying it was being widely followed across Karnataka. “Without the 50:50 formula, the local development authorities will not have funds even for paying their employees,” he said pointing out that both the BJP and Congress have implemented the scheme, as it is the only feasible solution for compensating farmers for land acquisition.
The JD(S) MLA highlighted Mr. Siddaramaiah’s rise in politics, noting that the CM’s political journey has been marked by fortune, determination, and a genuine commitment to the poor, stemming from his humble background. “There is a good measure of fortune blessing Siddaramaiah, and no one can change that,” he added.
Addressing speculation about the future of other leaders, like D.K. Shivakumar (DKS), Mr. Deve Gowda predicted that DKS would become CM one day, but emphasised that no one can remove Mr Siddaramaiah from his position. “With 138 MLAs supporting him, no one can remove Siddaramaiah from office. The talk about his stepping down are baseless,” he added.
Asserting that the public has grown weary of rumours that Mr. Siddaramaiah was bound to resign and there will be a new Chief Minister, Mr. Deve Gowda said, “Siddaramaiah will remain CM for the full term, and people are fed up of such rumours. When I speak the truth, some people misinterpret it, and remark that I am supporting Siddaramaiah,” said Mr. Deve Gowda.
