'If You're Ready...': Siddaramaiah Challenges PM Modi For Open Debate On Corruption

Hitting back at PM Modi, Siddaramaiah said that he has no moral right to speak about corruption and challenged him to choose one BJP leader from Karnataka unit who is "without any stain of corruption."

File Photo of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. (ANI)

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his attacks on him over the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land scam case and threw a challenge of a direct debate on corruption. Hitting back at the Prime Minister, Siddaramaiah said that PM Modi has no moral right to speak about corruption and challenged him to choose one Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader from Karnataka unit who is "without any stain of corruption."

"Prime Minister @NarendraModi who is accused by his own party leaders of auctioning off the Chief Minister's post for Rs 2,500 crore, has no moral right to speak about corruption!" he tweeted on Wednesday.

"Mr Modi, I am glad to see you finally talking about corruption. The people of Karnataka have seen only the puppets dancing with false allegations against me. Now it is time for them to know the mastermind behind it all. Don't fire shots from afar, Mr Modi. If you're ready for a direct debate, I am always ready," he said.

The Karnataka CM's response came after PM Modi mentioned the MUDA scam and accused the Congress of corruption during his rally in Haryana's Sonipat. "The Karnataka Chief Minister is accused in the land scam. Yesterday, the Karnataka High Court said that the probe orders are correct and investigation should be done. Congress also did a scam in the funds meant for Dalits. There is no party more dishonest than Congress in the entire nation," PM Modi had said in the rally on Wednesday.

Reacting to the Prime Minister's remarks, Siddaramaiah said that PM Modi's office has turned into a washing machine, cleaning the corruption stains of opposition leaders who join the BJP. He also cited instances of some opposition leaders accused in corruption cases of joining the saffron party.

"The nation has watched for the past 11 years as your office has turned into a washing machine, cleaning the corruption stains of opposition leaders who join the BJP. Bravo, Mr Modi! Since 2014, more than 25 opposition leaders with corruption allegations have joined your party, and 23 of them have been cleared by central agencies. Isn’t this a miracle?" he said.

"From Himanta Biswa Sarma to Suvendu Adhikari, HD Kumaraswamy, Ajit Pawar, Ashok Chavan, Narayan Rane, and the latest, Muniratna -- how many corrupt leaders have you washed clean in your machine? Is this your idea of public service, Mr Prime Minister?" he added.

Continuing his attack on the Prime Minister, the senior Congress leader cited the instance of Kumaraswamy joining the Union Cabinet. "You have inducted HD Kumaraswamy, who is facing a Rs 100 crore illegal mining scam, into your cabinet without hesitation. Doesn't your conscience prickle when you accuse others of corruption? Why is the Honorable Governor turning a blind eye to Lokayukta's request for permission to prosecute in this scam? Who’s pressuring him, Mr Modi?," Siddaramaiah said. 

The Congress leader's dig at PM Modi came after the Special Court in Bengaluru ordered on Wednesday that the Karnataka Lokayukta investigate MUDA case allegations against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The Karnataka Lokayukta's police in Mysuru have been tasked with conducting the investigation and are expected to submit their report within three months. 

The court's action came after the Karnataka High Court on Tuesday dismissed Siddaramaiah's plea that challenged the legality of the governor's order on approval of an investigation against him in the case.

The case pertains to allegations that compensatory sites were allotted to Siddaramaiah's wife, BM Parvathi, in an upmarket area in Mysuru that had a higher property value as compared to the location of her land that had been "acquired" by MUDA.

MUDA had allotted plots to Parvathi under a 50:50 ratio scheme in lieu of 3.16 acres of her land, where MUDA developed a residential layout. Siddaramaiah has vehemently denied allegations of irregularities in the land allocated to his wife and called the case a "BJP conspiracy".