“Incomparable to Siddharamaiah’s case”: Pralhad Joshi on FIR against Sitharaman

Hubballi (Karnataka) [India], September 28 (ANI): Union Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said on Saturday that the FIR pertaining to the case against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddharamaiah and the FIR filed against Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharman were “incomparable”.

Speaking to ANI, Joshi said what was done by the Finance Minister was done as per law and according to the law passed by the parliament.

The Union Minister has called for the resignation of the Karnataka Chief Minister and said that there was no other option after an FIR was filed by Lokayukta Police on Friday against him and others in connection with the alleged MUDA land allotment ‘scam’.

The FIR was filed by the Mysuru Lokayukta under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 351, 420, 340, 09, and 120-B, among others. The FIR mentions CM Siddaramaiah, his wife, brother-in-law and others as accused in the case.

“I have not seen that, but I can only say that this (electoral bond) was done as per law according to the law passed by the parliament…This was done as per the law. What order they have given, let us study… But I can tell you that this is incomparable to Siddharamaiah’s case,” Joshi said.

“He (CM Siddaramaiah) has to resign; there is no other option. They are trying to corner and frighten the governor, which is unacceptable. The High Court has clearly given its verdict and it also said that the person could not have any power or be in a seat… He should immediately resign. Whatever he has said in 2011, he should follow that,” Joshi said.

Earlier on Friday, a Bengaluru court had ordered the filing of an FIR against Nirmala Sitharaman and others for allegedly extorting money through electoral bonds.

This came in the wake of a petition filed by Adarsh Iyer of Janadhikar Sangharsh Parishad (JSP) to the Special Court of People’s Representatives seeking a direction to take action against the Union Minister.

Following the hearing, the court ordered the Tilak Nagar police station in Bengaluru to register an FIR for the crime of extortion through electoral bonds against the Minister.