I have done what my predecessors did: BS Yeddyurappa

Strongly defending the alleged grant of prime land in and around Bangalore to his children, chief minister BS Yeddyurappa said that neither had any wrong been committed nor any law broken in the issue.

Releasing a few documents related to irregularities allegedly committed by his predecessors in land deals, the chief minister warned the opposition parties that if they continued to target him, he would expose them completely.

“I am ready for a probe by a retired supreme court judge into all de-notifications in the state during the last 10 years. I am also ready to discuss the issue in detail in the coming legislative session,” he said.

“I will call a meeting of the opposition leaders soon and ask them what type of enquiry they want. If they decline to come up with any concrete proposal, I will take my decision,” Yeddyurappa told a crowded press conference.

“The process of de-notification of private lands acquired by Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) and Karnataka industrial areas development board (KIADB) for various purposes, was a routine practice during all regimes. I have only followed that. I have committed no error,” he added.

Yeddyurappa also claimed that no wrong had been committed in allotting a 4,000 sq ft residential site to his son, BY Raghavendra, under the chief minister’s discretionary quota, though he owned two residential properties.

The CM, however, had a tough time answering pointed questions on why Raghavendra sought permission from the BDA to sell the site allotted to him within months of the allotment. Yeddyurappa, who initially claimed he was ignorant of the issue, said that enough such requests had been made to the BDA.

He gave details of residential plots allotted by various CMs during the last 10 years under the discretionary quota. He said since coming to power in May 2008, he had allotted 136 plots to various people, including politicians from different parties.

HD Kumaraswamy had allotted 288 sites, while N Dharam Singh and SM Krishna had given 76 and 334 sites, respectively, he said. “My sons are doing business and running industries, like anyone else. Is it a crime for a CM’s sons to do business?” he asked.

Fluid Power Technologies, floated by his sons BY Vijayendra and Raghavendra, sought two acres of land in Jigani to expand its activities. Following this, the company was allotted land by KIADB. Though the company paid the amount to KIADB, the land was not handed over to it due to a dispute between the land owner and KIADB, he added.

“This type of allotments have been made during the tenure of earlier chief ministers. Land was allotted to Prasad R Deshpande, son of RV Deshpande, Mahima Patel, son of JH Patel, Balakrishne Gowda, brother of HD Kumaraswamy,” he said.