"Meek surrender or damage control?": BJP's Basanagouda Patil on MUDA plot surrender offer

Bengaluru: BJP leader Basanagouda R Patil came down heavily at Karnataka Chief Minister Siddharamaiah on Monday after the CM's wife offered to surrender all 14 plots that were allotted to her by the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA).
Taking to social media platform X, the MLA from Vijayapura constituency criticised Siddharamaish, questioning whether the offer was a "meek surrender" or "damage control" by him amid allegations regarding the MUDA land allotment scam.
He further probed on such a "kneejerk reaction" by the CM's wife after the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) booked the Siddaramaiah for money laundering in a case linked to the alleged MUDA land allotment scam.
"Mrs. Siddaramaiah now surrenders the 14 plots awarded as compensation to her in MUDA. Why such a knee-jerk reaction? Why surrender sites and request for cancellation of the sale deed after complaint is lodged?" Patil said.
"Siddaramaiah avare, you are now openly accepting the fact that the award of compensation was not commensurate, equitable and justified for your land acquisition. MUDA case is now an Open n' Shut case of clear misuse of power & nepotism," he added.
Meanwhile, Karnataka CM Siddharamiah said that he was surprised by the decision of his wife, Parvati after she offered to surrender all 14 plots that were allotted to her by the Mysore Urban Development Authority.
Taking to social media platform X, Siddharamiah said that his wife had suffered a lot due to the political conspiracy that had been directed against him.
He further expressed his regret for involving his wife in the political matter, which had also made her a subject to mental harassment as a victim of this "political vendetta" against him.
"My wife, Parvati, has returned the plots of land that were taken without compensation from the land acquired by the MUDA in Mysore. It is well known to the people of the state that opposition parties have fabricated false allegations against me to achieve political vendetta and have dragged my family into controversy. My stance has always been that we must fight against this injustice without bowing down," Siddharamiah said on X.
"However, my wife, who has suffered due to the political conspiracy directed against me, has taken the decision to return these plots, which has surprised me. I regret that my wife, who has remained out of politics for the past four decades and limited her involvement to family matters, has been subjected to mental harassment as a victim of this political vendetta against me," he added.
Earlier today, the Mysuru Lokayukta officially started the inquiry and investigation into the case linked to the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land allotment scam following a September 27 court order to file a FIR, directing them to conduct an investigation against Siddaramaiah on the allegation of illegalities in the allotment of 14 sites worth Rs 56 crore to his wife Parvathi by the MUDA.