Siddaramaiah: No question of quitting

BJP leaders protest demanding CM’s resignation. Pic/PTI

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah reiterated on Thursday he will not resign as he again denied any wrongdoing in the allotment of 14 sites to his wife by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA). Terming the charges against him a "BJP conspiracy", Siddaramaiah said he would wage a legal fight.

A special court on Wednesday ordered a probe by the Lokayukta police in Mysuru against the Chief Minister in the MUDA site allotment ‘scam', setting the stage for registering an FIR against him. Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress President D K Shivakumar also ruled out the possibility of Siddaramaiah stepping down.

Opposition BJP in Karnataka on Thursday staged a protest in front of Mahatma Gandhi statue at Vidhana Soudha, the seat of state legislature and secretariat here, demanding his resignation. "There is no question of resigning, because I have done no wrong. This (charges against him) is a BJP (conspiracy)," Siddaramaiah told reporters here.

"....did the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi as the then Gujarat CM) resign in the Godhra incident as FIR was done (then)? (H D) Kumaraswamy (JDS leader) is in Narendra Modi's government, he is on bail, has he given resignation?" the Chief Minister asked. "Have they given resignation? Are they not embarrassed? I will not resign. I will fight legally."

K'taka govt blocks CBI

The Karnataka government on Thursday decided to withdraw general consent given to CBI to investigate cases in the State. "The notification granting general consent for CBI to probe criminal cases in Karnataka state, under the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946, has been withdrawn," Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil said.

D K dismisses CM claim rumours

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress chief D K Shivakumar on Thursday said no party leader has staked claim for the post of Chief Minister in the backdrop of the incumbent Siddaramaiah facing a Lokayukta probe in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) sites allotment case.

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