BJP accuses Karnataka CM of denotifying land causing Rs 300 crore loss; Siddaramaiah rejects charge

BENGALURU: Karnataka BJP today accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of illegally denotifying a land that resulted in a loss of Rs 300 crore.

The chief minister, however, hit back by charging the opposition with "spreading lies" against him ahead of the assembly elections next year.

Denying any denotification of land, Siddaramaiah told reporters here that he was preparing for taking legal action.

"I have not done any denotification...have they released the orders of denotification," Siddaramaiah said.

"I have not denotified, then where is the allegation?  They are spreading lies as elections are approaching, by doing these things they want to spoil my (image). They are not going to succeed in that. People will understand their false  allegations and it will boomerang on them," he said.

Asked about taking legal action or filing defamation,  Siddaramaiah said "I have spoken to lawyers." Earlier in the day, BJP OBC Morcha president B J Puttaswamy alleged that Siddaramaiah was directly responsible  for denotification of land to the extent of over six acres in survey No 20 and 21 at Bhoopasandra, Bangalore North Taluk, and that it was against the high court and Supreme Court orders.

"This has resulted in the loss of Rs 300 crore to the  Bangalore Development Authority," BJP, quoting Puttaswamy, said in a release.

He alleged that Keerthi Raj Shetty, a close associate and confidant of Siddaramaiah, was the direct beneficiary.

Alleging that the chief minister had written two  letters, thereby, intervening directly in the matter,  Puttaswamy said the BJP would also take up the issue with the  anti-corruption bureau "since it is a clear case of corruption."