Siddaramaiah

Ready to form committee to look into Waqf properties issue: CM Siddaramaiah

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said he is ready to form a committee headed by a retired judge to look into the Waqf properties issue. The chief minister also assured the Karnataka Assembly that the government will not remove those temples which are built on Waqf properties. In case notices have been served to them, then they will be withdrawn, he said. Replying to the question raised by the opposition BJP on the Waqf land issue in the ongoing Assembly session on Thursday, the chief minister said, "Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda has given a detailed reply to the charges of the opposition party. "If they are not content with our reply, the government is ready to form a committee headed by a retired judge," the chief minister told the house. He also made it clear that the matter is not a prestige issue. Siddaramaiah said the central government had enacted the Wakf Act in 1954, which the state government cannot amend. "The BJP-led government was in power in t

Amit Shah's remarks on Ambedkar, extension of RSS ideology: Siddaramaiah

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday hit out at Home Minister Amit Shah for his remarks on B R Ambedkar, calling it an insult to the chief architect of the Constitution. Shah's remarks in Parliament are just an extension of long-standing RSS ideology, he said. The chief minister said without Ambedkar's contributions, Shah wouldn't be the Home Minister and Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister. The CM was referring to Shah's remarks taking a swipe at the opposition, during a debate on the Constitution in the Rajya Sabha. "Abhi ek fashion ho gaya hai - Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar. Itna naam agar bhagwan ka lete to saat janmon tak swarg mil jata (It has become a fashion to say Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar'. If they had taken God's name so many times, they would have got a place in heaven)," Shah had said. For the Congress party and him (Siddaramaiah), Ambedkar is not a "fashion" but an "eternal inspiration", the

Abusing power as CM: K'taka BJP chief Vijayendra hits back at Siddaramaiah

In the post, the Chief Minister also called for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the matter

No power-sharing pact in Karnataka, no one should talk about it: Shivakumar

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivkumar on Saturday said that no one in the party should talk about any power-sharing "agreement or formula" involving him and CM Siddaramaiah, as he clarified that there was no such a thing. He, however, said that they were working with some "political understanding". This statement from Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress chief, came days after Siddaramaiah rejected his claim that they have a power-sharing pact. "No one should talk about any oppanda (agreement). There is no formula (power-sharing formula) or anything. We are both working with some political understanding. I have never spoken about any formula, there is nothing. What I told the national channel is we have come to some understanding. "The CM has been entrusted with some responsibility and I'm entrusted with some. I'm functioning accordingly," Shivakumar said. Speaking to reporters here, he said, "There is no need or there is no situation for anyone to speak about any ..

MUDA case: HC issues notice on Siddaramaiah's appeal against bench order

Karnataka High Court on Thursday issued notice to the state government and other respondents on an appeal filed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah challenging the single judge bench's order upholding the Governor's decision granting approval for an investigation against him in the MUDA site allotment scam. The division bench of Chief Justice N V Anjaria and Justice K V Aravind posted the matter for further hearing on January 25, 2025. On October 24, the CM filed an appeal before the division bench of the High Court, challenging the decision of a single judge bench, which had come as a setback to him. Siddaramaiah is facing allegations of illegalities in the allotment of 14 sites to his wife Parvathi B M by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA). The bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna on September 24 dismissed the CM's petition challenging Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot's approval for a probe against him in the case, observing that the gubernatorial order nowhere "suffers from want of

Are they trying to influence: K'taka minister after ED writes to Lokayukta

Karnataka Home Minister G Parmeshwara questioned the ED's intention behind writing the letter to the Lokayuta before the petition came up for hearing in High Court

CM Siddaramaiah calls ED's move in Muda case politically motivated

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday termed the ED's recent communication to the state Lokayukta police in connection with the MUDA site allotment case, as "politically motivated" and sent with an intent to influence them and the court. He repeatedly asserted that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has no powers to investigate the case. Siddaramaiah is facing allegations of illegalities in the allotment of 14 sites to his wife Parvathi B M by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA). "It is politically motivated. Tomorrow our writ appeal against the single bench order is coming up (before division bench in HC), if they have done it just ahead of it, what does it mean? First of all they (ED) dont have any powers to investigate, they cannot do it legally. Secondly, they have done this to influence the court," he said in response to a question on ED's letter to Lokayukta. Addressing reporters here, the CM said, "The Lokayukta is conducting the inquiry and they will ha

Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah meets PM Modi, seeks clearances for two projects

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting rectification in short term farm loan limit, Rs 10,000 cr in financial support and urgent clearances for the Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir and Kalasa Bandhuri projects. In the meeting in Parliament complex, Siddarmaiah pressed for several key interventions focusing on critical areas, including agriculture, water resources and urban infrastructure. Deputy Chief Minister and Irrigation Minister D K Shivakumar, Energy Minister K J George and Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh accompanied the CM for the meeting. The chief minister highlighted that NABARD has drastically cut the Short Term Agricultural Credit Limit for Karnataka from Rs 5,600 crore in 2023-24 to just Rs 2,340 crore in 2024-25, a 58 per cent reduction that could severely impact farmers' access to soft loans. "I request you to look into this and direct the Finance Ministry to rectify this situation so that farmers in Karnata

BJP condemns move to make Karnataka CM chancellor of RDPR University

Opposition BJP on Friday condemned the government's move to make the chief minister the chancellor of the Karnataka State Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) University replacing the governor, terming it as an attempt to pollute the higher education system. State BJP president B Y Vijayendra said this attempt to cut down on the powers of the governor is a conspiracy to upset the constitutional system. The Karnataka cabinet on Thursday approved a bill, according to which the chief minister will be appointed as the chancellor, replacing the governor at the RDPR University in Gadag. The governor is the chancellor for all public universities in Karnataka. Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot currently holds the post. "With a good intention that politics should not mix in education and as per the intent of the constitution, the Governor who is also the constitutional head of the state is the chancellor of the universities. But the government led by Siddaramaiah (CM), which is engaged

Karnataka Lokayukta police quiz ex-MUDA Commissioner P S Kantharaju

The Lokayukta police probing the MUDA site allotment case on Thursday quizzed its former Commissioner P S Kantharaju, Lokayukta sources said. Kantharaju was the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) Commissioner for over two years, from September 2017 to November 2019. The details of the investigation were not known. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, his wife Parvathi B M, brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy and others are accused in the case. In the MUDA case, it is alleged that compensatory sites were allotted to Siddaramaiah's wife in an upmarket area in Mysuru, which had higher property value as compared to the location of her land which had been "acquired" by the MUDA. The MUDA had allotted plots to Parvathi under a 50:50 ratio scheme in lieu of 3.16 acres of her land, where it developed a residential layout. Under the controversial scheme, MUDA allotted 50 per cent of developed land to the land losers in lieu of undeveloped land acquired from them for forming residen

Those against Constitution speaking about changing it: Karnataka CM

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said those against the Constitution are speaking of changing it, while he and his party are fighting to safeguard it. He was speaking on the sidelines of an event to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution. "Those who are against the Constitution, they are telling it (about changing the Constitution). Recently Swamiji of the Pejawar Math in Udupi had also spoken about the need for amending the Constitution. I don't know...we are fighting to ensure that the Constitution should not be changed," Siddaramiah said in response to a question. Addressing reporters here, he said, "About 106 amendments have been made to the Constitution so far. We are celebrating 75 years (of adopting the constitution). Probably India's is the longest (written) Constitution in the whole world." Noting that it has been 75 years since the country adopted its Constitution, the CM said whether it is central or the state government or the

Karnataka Assembly bypolls win: Shivakumar gives credit to CM Siddaramaiah

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday gave credit to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's leadership as well as the five guarantees for the Congress party's success in the assembly bypolls. Shivakumar said this victory was a prelude to the 2028 assembly election where the party would once again win. The Congress won the Channapatna, Shiggaon and Sandur Assembly segments. The by-elections were held on November 13 and the results were announced today. The ruling Congress on Saturday retained its strong hold of Sandur, with its candidate E Annapoorna, winning the seat by defeating BJP's ST Morcha president Bangaru Hanumanthu. In the Channapatna segment, Congress' C P Yogeeshwara won the "high profile" seat by defeating JD(S) candidate and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy's son Nikhil Kumaraswamy. Similarly, Congress' Yasir Ahmed Khan Pathan won the Shiggaon Assembly segment by defeating former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai's son Bharath Bommai. "Our guarantees, ...

Karnataka risks Rs 18,948 crore grants as local body polls face delays

The state faces a 16-month deadline to complete these polls to remain eligible for its share of Rs 18,948 crore allocated by the 15th Finance Commission for 2021-26

Karnataka CM seeks more agricultural loans, meets FM for farmers' interests

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah met Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday, urging her to intervene and increase the Short Term Agricultural Loans (SAO) limit for the fiscal 2024-25. In the meeting held at North block, the chief minister highlighted a sharp decline in the proposed loan allocation by NABARD, which has sanctioned only Rs 2,340 crore against the state's applied limit of Rs 9,162 crore, a 58 per cent reduction compared to the previous year's Rs 5,600 crore. Presenting a detailed representation, Siddaramaiah emphasised that Karnataka aims to disburse short-term agricultural loans worth Rs 25,000 crore to 35 lakh farmers in 2024-25. In 2023-24, the state has already disbursed Rs 22,902 crore through the cooperative credit structure. The state government said that the drastic reduction in the SAO loan limit could significantly impede agricultural cooperation and potentially disrupt food grain production. NABARD attributed the reduced allocation to a ..

Karnataka inked MoUs bringing in Rs 46,375 cr investments: Siddaramaiah

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said the state has prioritised economic development by signing 21 MoUs with various organisations, bringing in investments worth Rs 46,375 crore with potential to generate 27,170 new jobs, since his government assumed office last year. Speaking at the inauguration of the 78th Annual Technical Meet of the Indian Institute of Metals (IIM), he said Bengaluru stands as a symbol of technological and industrial progress. "It is only fitting that we host this prestigious event, bringing together over 1,700 experts dedicated to shaping the future of metals and materials," he said. The Chief Minister said the theme, Transformational Technologies in Materials and Manufacturing, of the three-day conclave underscores the critical need to envision and implement pioneering solutions to navigate the complexities of a rapidly evolving world. "The materials and manufacturing sectors are pillars of economic growth and national resilience. Their

Karnataka CM seeks to meet FM Sitharaman to discuss Nabard loan 'reduction'

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said he has sought an appointment with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to discuss the "reduction" in loan amount to the state this year, from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD). The Chief Minister will be travelling to the national capital tonight. "There is a launch of Nandini products in Delhi, so I'm going. I have also sought appointment with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, because NABARD loan to the state this year has been reduced. Last year, Rs 5,600 crore was given, this year it is Rs 2,340 crore. It has been reduced by 58 per cent," Siddaramaiah said. Speaking to reporters here, he noted that the NABARD comes under the Finance Ministry. "I will make a request to her." Asked if he will be meeting the Congress high command during the visit, the CM said: "I will have to return (to state) by tomorrow evening. If I get time, I will meet." Siddaramaiah is scheduled to launch Nan

Bengaluru Tech Summit: CM Siddaramaiah launches GCC policy, skilling drive

Karnataka plans to set up three innovation districts for Global Capability Centres (GCCs) in the state, which will serve as global hubs for innovation and research

K'taka to establish 3 dedicated global innovation districts: Siddaramaiah

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday announced that the State government would establish three dedicated global innovation districts in Bengaluru, Mysuru and Belagavi. "These will be dedicated parks for GCCs (Global Capability Centres) to set up shop here in the state," he said after inaugurating the 27th edition of Bengaluru Tech Summit (BTS) here. He noted that the State had recently launched India's first dedicated Global Capability Centres (GCC) policy, aimed at empowering and supporting these centres. The three-day tech conclave is organised by the State government's Department of Electronics, IT and BT, with Australia being the official country-partner for the event. The Chief Minister said the Bengaluru Global Innovation District will be part of the Knowledge, Well-being, and Innovation City (KWIN City), which will serve as a global hub for innovation and research. "Our state is a preferred destination for GCCs, thanks to its unmatched engineering talent and th

May sue Maharashtra govt over false ads on guarantee schemes: K'taka CM

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said the government was mulling over filing a suit against its counterpart in poll-bound Maharashtra for allegedly issuing false advertisements regarding his administration's flagship 'guarantee' schemes. He said legal action is being explored against the Mahayuti government. "It is only to mislead the people of Maharashtra in order to get the votes. He (PM) is telling lies. False advertisement is given by Maharashtra government," Siddaramaiah said in response to a question on PM Narendra Modi targeting Karnataka government's guarantee schemes during Maharashtra poll campaign, and whether government is mulling legal action against alleged misinformation about the schemes. "I'm getting the issue examined about taking legal action. We are thinking about filing a suit against the Maharashtra government, because they have given false advertisements. We are thinking," he told reporters here. The Karnataka government is spending Rs 56,000 .

Planning to file suit against this: Siddaramaiah on PM's looting remarks

Speaking to the media persons after attending the Kanakadasa Jayanthi event, in Bengaluru, CM Siddaramaiah said, PM Modi is telling lies. It is to mislead the people to get votes