Cong targets BJP leader Ashoka over surrender of land to BDA

The ruling Congress in Karnataka on Wednesday targeted Leader of Opposition R Ashoka for attacking Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his wife on her surrendering 14 sites in connection with MUDA ‘scam’, by pointing out at him returning an illegally denotified land to BDA and thereby getting a respite from the High Court.

Ministers G Parameshwara, H K Patil, Krishna Byre Gowda and Satish Jarkiholi held a joint press conference and released documents regarding the alleged illegal denotification of about one acre land at Lottegollahalli here, which Ashoka had held and later “returned” to the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) as a “gift”.

They demanded Ashoka’s answer to the people of the state, as to how did he register the notified land in his name and then got it denotified from the original owner — the BDA, and why he later returned it to the BDA when the case went to the court. They questioned him whether “the transaction was legal.” “Leader of Opposition R Ashoka has raised several questions regarding the Chief Minister’s wife returning 14 sites that were in question, and has said that by doing so the CM has accepted the scam. But we have come before you to say that there is a case where Ashoka himself is involved in a similar case,” Parameshwara said about the BJP leader.

Parameshwara said, at Lottegollahalli, where the property value is expensive due to commercial value, 32 guntas of land — nearly an acre — was notified by the BDA and acquired through a preliminary notification on February 24, 1977 and final notification on August 31, 1978, from the original owner named Gullamma.

“This land was somehow purchased by Ashoka in 2007, after a gap of 26 years (despite the land being under the ownership of the BDA), and till 2009 he didn’t do anything. All of a sudden in 2009 out of the blue a person named Ramaswamy, who is nowhere (connected to the land) applies for its denotification to the then Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, who calls for the file…after that within two months, on August 31, 2009 the land is denotified,” he said.

Questioning how Ashoka could purchase the land from somebody, when the land ownership was with BDA and then get it denotified through an “unrelated person”, Parameshwara said, subsequently a retired Wing Commander approached the Lokayukta and then to court regarding the land.

Ashoka then decided to return the land on August 27, 2011 through a registered gift to BDA, which is the actual owner, he said. “The High Court then passes judgement saying the land is returned, that means the case is over, so there is no need for a criminal investigation.” The Home Minister asked Ashoka, how he was asking for criminal investigation against Siddaramaiah and his wife, and raising objections regarding her returning the 14 sites to MUDA, when he himself was enjoying a respite from the court order by doing the same thing.

“How can you have the right to question? You don’t have a right to question…if you are asking for Siddaramaiah’s resignation you better resign.” He further pointed out that in Siddaramaiah’s case 14 sites were compensatory plots given by MUDA, but in Ashoka’s case he had purchased a BDA land that was already acquired from somebody who is not linked to the property, and then got its denotification.

Asked as to why the Congress government was silent on Ashoka’s case for so long and were only raising it only when allegations against Siddaramaiah had surfaced, Parameshwara said, the matter was sub-judice when Congress was in power earlier.

Legal team will examine how to proceed, in case the government decides to proceed with the case, he said. “Let him (Ashoka) resign, then they (BJP) will have more authority to ask for Siddaramaiah’s resignation.” As regards Siddaramaiah, he may approach a division bench of the High Court, and may seek review, till getting justice, Parameshwara said. “He will continue to be the Chief Minister, he will remain in the post.”