Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday welcomed the Supreme Court’s order dismissing the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) appeal to investigate his wife, Parvati Siddaramaiah, in the matter of Mysuru Urban Development Authority (Muda) site allocation.
In a post on X, Siddaramaiah called the judgment a “resounding slap of justice on the face of the Central Government” and thanked the Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice K Vinodchandra for their verdict.
“Throughout my long political career, I have always bowed to the Constitution and the law of the land. This belief has been upheld and protected by the Supreme Court's order,” he said.
Accusing the BJP and its allies of misusing constitutional institutions to target him and his family, Siddaramaiah said: “The BJP and its allies, unable to confront me politically, have misused constitutional investigative agencies like the CBI and ED to fabricate a false case against my wife, causing immense harassment. The mental distress inflicted on me and my family is something I can never forget.”
Quoting Chief Justice Gavai, he said: “Political battles should be fought with voters, not by misusing constitutional institutions like the Enforcement Directorate,” and added that these words reflect the sentiments of every conscientious Indian who believes in the Constitution.
Siddaramaiah also criticised the Centre’s alleged misuse of agencies like the Income Tax Department, CBI and ED over the last 10-11 years to harass political opponents. “This verdict brings solace to all such victims while instilling confidence in the judicial system,” he said.
Urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to stop what he called the misuse of constitutional institutions and grant them autonomy, Siddaramaiah said they should “atone for their sins.”
He called on BJP and JD(S) leaders in Karnataka to apologise for making what he described as “baseless allegations” against his family regarding the MUDA case. “If they have even a shred of dignity or honor left, they should immediately apologise publicly for their mistakes,” he said.
Source: India Today