After the BJP accused Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah of facilitating the denotification of land worth Rs 300 crore in Bhoopasandra, an angry Siddaramaiah, on Wednesday, lashed out against the BJP by calling the allegations “baseless, frivolous and politically motivated”, The Hindu reported.
The Chief Minister is now mulling legal action against the BJP for attempting to “tarnish his image”.
“The BJP is trying to mislead everyone. The BJP thinks this will benefit them politically as the elections are nearing. But the allegations are baseless. So far, during my tenure as Chief Minister, I have not approved any case of denotification,” Siddaramaiah told media persons.
Stating that the BJP is making “wild accusations”, Siddaramaiah said that he has not done anything wrong.
“The BJP is saying that I had denotified the land and had written “examine and discuss” on the document pertaining to the so-called denotification. The truth is that I write “examine and discuss” on the letters when there is a need. I have written “examine and discuss” on a letter given by our party MLA, Vasanth Bangera, pertaining to regularisation of four revenue sites. If anyone gives me a letter seeking anything, it is obvious that I will write “examine and discuss” as I would not have all the information at the time,” Siddaramaiah added.
He strongly asserted that he had not asked the Bangalore Development Authority to refrain from challenging the appeal filed in the High Court by the land losers against the final notification.
“The BDA has withdrawn the case based on the Law Department’s opinion that it is not a fit case to file an appeal. This is because the entire land acquired had not been developed. The BJP has no documents to prove any of these allegations,” he said.
“If the BJP leader fails to clear us from the controversy within a week, then we will initiate legal action, including filing a defamation suit,” the lawyer for Krishnaprasad, son of landowner Jayalakshmamma, told the media on Wednesday.
Legal counsel Sunildat Yadav denied Puttaswamy’s allegations stating that the land acquired from his client was restored by the government and that the BJP had levelled baseless allegation on them.
Pointing out that the BDA had developed only 13 acres of the total 108 acres acquired for the layout in 1983, he said that the High Court had ruled in favour of the landowner on the grounds of “time lapse scheme”, considering the delay.