Bengaluru: Karnataka government on Wednesday criticised the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for writing a letter to the Karnataka Lokayukta in connection with the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) case allegedly involving Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
Minister for Home G. Parameshwara, Minister for IT & BT, RDPR Priyank Kharge and Chief Minister’s legal advisor and Congress MLA A.S. Ponnanna held a joint press conference at the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru and slammed the ED and the BJP.
Minister Priyank Kharge said that the ED and IT are “puppets” of the Central government.
“In states where the BJP is weak, they use the CBI and IT. No one knows how the ED entered the MUDA case. The Chief Minister has said that there’s nothing wrong and that an investigation can proceed. Look at the timing of the leak; the hearing is scheduled for Thursday, but the information was leaked today (Wednesday). The ED officials themselves leaked information to certain media outlets,” said Priyank Kharge.
He added that after Sardar Patel, Union Minister Amit Shah is considered the strongest Home Minister. “How did this leak happen under his watch,” he said.
He said that investigations are ongoing in the MUDA case, adding that ED’s letter to Lokayukta mentions many points.
“Two investigations cannot be conducted into the same matter. By writing a letter to Lokayukta, the ED has confused the issue. During former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai’s tenure, site allocations were made to the Siddaramaiah family. How is the same report being leaked across the country? Only Siddaramaiah’s name is out; why not others,” he said.
He claimed that it is being done to divert attention from Covid-19 and other cases of the BJP. “People have given a verdict against BJP’s communal politics. We will fight this politically and legally,” he said.
Siddaramaiah’s legal advisor and MLA Ponnanna said that ED officials have acted illegally.
“An FIR will be registered. Under the PMLA, the ED has no jurisdiction in this case. Their intervention is politically motivated. We had decided not to speak during the investigation. Their investigation is not about uncovering the truth but about suppressing it,” said Ponnanna.
Meanwhile, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said that any investigation must remain confidential.
“If there is any truth, it must be submitted to the court. Instead of submitting it to the court, they are sharing it with the media, showing their desperation. This proves there is no substance in the case. But we are not worried. Our duty, our government, and our party will continue to fight. We have faith in the judiciary,” he said.
(IANS)
