During a dramatic turn of events in the Karnataka State Assembly, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs were seen carrying pillows and blankets into the assembly hall as they continued their dharna on Wednesday night. They even had their dinner inside the assembly premises as part of their protest. The BJP legislators are demanding a discussion on the alleged Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) ‘scam’.

As the opposition party in the Congress-ruled Karnataka, the BJP announced a “day-and-night” dharna in both the Legislative Assembly and Council after being denied a discussion on the scam.

#WATCH | Karnataka BJP MLAs seen carrying pillows and blankets inside the State Assembly and having their dinner here as they continue their dharna in the House tonight and stay the night.

State Assembly adjourned till tomorrow, 25th July. The BJP MLAs are demanding discussion… pic.twitter.com/b0IumC68gt

It is alleged that the MUDA fraudulently allotted sites to land losers, including plots given to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife Parvathi, as reported by news agency PTI. The opposition was denied the opportunity to discuss the issue in both houses on Wednesday.

The legislative session is scheduled to conclude on Friday, with the Karnataka Assembly being adjourned until Thursday, July 25.

Addressing the media, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, R Ashoka criticized the ruling party for avoiding a discussion on the alleged ₹4,000 crore MUDA scam. He accused the government of passing key bills, including the finance bill, without proper debate. Ashoka labeled the government as “cowards” for not addressing the allegations.

He further challenged the government’s integrity, claiming that if they had any shame, they would have clarified the legal acquisition of 14 sites by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his supporters.

Expressing outrage at the suppression of opposition voices, Ashoka declared a continuous protest against the government’s inaction on the MUDA scam. He accused the Speaker of favoring the ruling party and pledged that all BJP MLAs and MLCs would protest day and night.

On July 14, the government established a single-member inquiry commission led by former High Court Judge Justice P N Desai to investigate the scandal.

The inquiry will focus on illegalities in MUDA from 2006 to July 15, 2024, as revealed by Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil in the Assembly. The commission has been tasked with completing the probe within six months.

Terms of reference have been outlined for the inquiry commission, with a mandate to investigate the formation of layouts by MUDA, land acquisition without due process, compensation to landowners, and compliance with legal norms.

Patil emphasized the importance of a thorough investigation to bring transparency and accountability to the MUDA operations.

(With inputs from agencies)