The Karnataka Legislative Assembly and Council witnessed an unusual night-long protest as the Opposition BJP and JD (S) members demanded a discussion on the alleged Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam linked to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The protest followed the rejection of the Opposition’s request for an adjournment motion on the MUDA case by Speaker UT Khader and Council Chairperson Basavaraj Horatti.
The BJP unit of Karnataka has called for the resignation of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, labelling him the "father of the MUDA scam." Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka said that the scam involved Rs 3,000 crore.
During the night-long protest, BJP legislators in both the Assembly and Council engaged in dancing, sloganeering, and singing bhajans inside the Vidhana Soudha. They displayed placards and gathered together, chanting songs targeting the Congress government and its leaders, including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar.
The protest took place in front of the newly installed display board containing the Preamble of the Indian Constitution, with Opposition leader R Ashoka accusing the Congress government of acting against constitutional principles by suppressing the opposition's voice regarding the MUDA scam. State BJP President BY Vijayendra, former Minister Prabhu Chauhan, and Leader of the Opposition in the Council, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, were seen singing, dancing, and playing traditional musical instruments, criticising the government for allegedly looting funds meant for Dalits and the common man.
R Ashoka also condemned the restrictions imposed by the police on the movement of BJP MLAs and MLCs during the protest. "This government (Congress) will not be permanent; it is going to collapse in a year or two. No one knows when it will fall, so be careful and don't dare to stop us," he warned.
The BJP legislators, who arranged a dinner at the Vidhana Soudha, later changed into night attire and slept on the floor, sofas, and tables inside the building. Karnataka Law Minister HK Patil and officials of the Vidhana Soudha held discussions with several BJP legislators during the night.
"You don't even allow us to discuss the MUDA scam in both Houses of the Assembly. State Law Minister HK Patil asks us to submit our grievances to the Inquiry Commission. At that point, CM Siddaramaiah was present in the House. He should have agreed to the debate and challenged us," said State BJP President Vijayendra.
"However, CM Siddaramaiah remained silent on the MUDA scam. The CM seems to be under pressure because of his involvement in scams. The Tribal Welfare Board scam would not have happened without the collusion of the CM since he is in charge of the State Finance Ministry," he added.
The MUDA scam controversy erupted when the original owner of a 3.16-acre land parcel in Kesare village petitioned the Mysuru deputy commissioner to reclaim their land, which had been transferred to CM Siddaramaiah's brother-in-law in 2005. The controversy deepened when it was revealed that BM Parvathi, the CM's wife, was allegedly allocated 14 premium sites in Mysuru in 2022 as compensation for the land under the 50:50 scheme run by MUDA.
