FIRs against BS Yeddyurappa for denotifying 257 acres of land, BJP protests

Countering the congress government’s move to file two FIRs against BJP State President BS Yeddyurappa, the saffron party organised a massive protest at Bengaluru’s Freedom Park on Friday.

Hundreds of party workers and BJP leaders including BS Yeddyurappa, Udupi-Chikkamagaluru MP Shobha Karandlaje, Chikkamagaluru MLA CT Ravi, Leader of Opposition in Vidhana Parishad, KS Eshwarappa and former Home Minister R Ashok, called for the resignation of  “corrupt Congress leaders”.

The BJP leaders also went on a “Vidhana Soudha Chalo” march from Freedom Park to Vidhana Soudha and BJP called for the closure of the Assembly.

“More than Rs 300 crore disproportionate assets were found during the raids conducted by the Income Tax officials in Energy Minister DK Shivakumar’s properties. BJP demands the resignation of corrupt leaders like the Energy Minister, Small Scale Industries Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi, his sister Lakshmi Hebbalkar and also Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who himself denotified 900 acres of land for Arkavathy Layout,” R Ashok told TNM.

Stating that the FIRs filed against him did not affect the BJP, Yeddyurappa challenged CM Siddaramaiah to go ahead with the probe.

The BJP State President said that the saffron party would conduct a week-long protest in all Assembly constituencies, demanding the resignation of “corrupt Congress leaders”.

“We will conduct massive protests, rallies in all assembly constituencies across the state and ensure that these corrupt Congress leaders resign. The Youth wing of the BJP will conduct bike rallies,” Yeddyurappa added.

“The Congress is scared after BJP National President Amit Shah’s visit to Bengaluru and the BJP’s decision to conduct protests across the state demanding the resignation of DK Shivakumar and other Congress leaders. Let Siddaramaiah file more FIRs against me. It will not affect me or the BJP in any way,” Yeddyurappa told the media.

The Anti-Corruption Bureau, Karnataka has filed two FIRs against BJP state unit President BS Yeddyurappa for denotifying 257 acres of land notified for the formation of the Dr Shivaram Karanth Layout, The Hindu reported.

 The ACB registered the FIRs based on a complaint filed by one, Dr Ayyappa, the Convenor of Jana Saamanyara Vedike and former Vice-Chancellor of a private university, on June 6. The first FIR was registered on August 10 while the second was registered on Thursday. 

ACB also slapped a police notice on the BJP's chief ministerial candidate, asking BSY to appear before them on Saturday, as there is a need to question him and record his statement regarding the case. The BJP State President is said to have received the notice.

The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) had issued a preliminary notification for 3,546 acres, but it is alleged that during this stage, the then Chief Minister Yeddyurappa issued directions to drop 257 acres of land after receiving applications from various landlords, The Hindu report goes on to add. 

The New Indian Express reported that FIRs were registered under Sections 7, 8, 13(1)(c)(d) and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act and Sections 406, 420 and 120(B) of IPC. The complaint was filed by Dr Ayyappa Dorey, a former vice-chancellor of a private university and social activist. 

Four officials of the then Urban Development Department were also named in the FIR’s – the then Special Land Acquisition Officer of the BDA and the then Under Secretary, Deputy Secretary and Additional Chief Secretary of the Department of Urban Development.

The number of FIR’s may increase when the ACB finds evidence in 18 other orders passed by the former Chief Minister, the report added, quoting an official.

It is alleged that the former Chief Minister misused his position for monetary gains, causing a loss to the state exchequer. Since the denotified land was right in between the proposed layout, the BDA had to shelve the entire project, Deccan Chronicle reported. 

This comes just days after I-T raids on Energy Minister D K Shivakumar. Reportedly, the CM is said to have had an “unofficial meeting” with members of the ACB, asking them to reopen cases of corruption filed against BJP leaders, the DC report added.

The timing of these FIRs, however, is bound to raise eyebrows as the BJP is launching an agitation demanding the resignation of Shivakumar. Congress has accused the government at the Centre of using the I-T department to target Congress leaders, TNIE reported.