Thu Sep 26 08:17:01 UTC 2024: ## Karnataka CM Under Fire: BJP Demands Resignation Amidst Lokayukta Probe
**Bengaluru:** The opposition BJP in Karnataka staged a protest on Thursday, demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah following a Special Court order for a Lokayukta police probe against him in a land allotment case.
The protest, led by Leader of Opposition R Ashoka and Legislative Council member Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, was held in front of the Vidhana Soudha, the state legislature and secretariat. Several party lawmakers and leaders joined the demonstration, holding placards and chanting slogans demanding Siddaramaiah’s immediate resignation.
The Special Court ordered the Lokayukta police probe on Wednesday following a High Court order upholding the Governor’s sanction for an investigation into allegations of irregularities in the allotment of 14 sites to the Chief Minister’s wife, B M Parvathi, by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA).
The allegations revolve around the allotment of compensatory sites to Parvathi in an upscale area of Mysuru, with higher property value than her original land acquired by MUDA. The BJP claims that Parvathi did not have legal ownership of the land in question.
Despite the Special Court order and calls for his resignation, Siddaramaiah has maintained his stance, asserting that he is ready to face the investigation.
The BJP, however, insists on the Chief Minister’s resignation and has further demanded that the investigation be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a “free and impartial probe.”
This development is expected to further escalate the political tension in Karnataka, with the BJP intensifying its pressure on the Congress government.
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