Bengaluru, July 21 (IANS) Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has demanded a public apology from the BJP and JD(S) after the Supreme Court upheld the Karnataka High Court verdict quashing the ED notice in connection with the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) case.

He said on Monday, “If the BJP and JD(S) leaders in the state, who have been continuously making baseless allegations against me and my family in the MUDA case, still retain even a shred of dignity and self-respect, they must immediately offer a public apology for their misdeeds.”

“The Supreme Court’s historic order dismissing the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) appeal seeking to investigate my wife, B.M. Parvathi, in connection with the MUDA site allotment case is a resounding blow of justice to the Central government. I humbly welcome the judgment delivered by the Chief Justice of India, Justice B.R. Gavai, and Justice K. Vinod Chandran. Throughout my long political career, I have always bowed before the Constitution and the law of the land. The Supreme Court has upheld and protected this belief through its verdict,” CM said.

“The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies, unable to confront me politically, have misused constitutional investigative agencies like the CBI and the ED to fabricate a false case against my wife. The harassment inflicted through such politically motivated actions is deeply deplorable. I will never forget the mental agony and harassment that my family and I have endured because of this,” CM Siddaramaiah stated.

“What the Hon’ble Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Gavai, has said truly echoes the feelings of my heart — political battles must be fought using the electorate, not by misusing constitutional agencies like the ED,” he said.

“His words reflect the opinion of every conscientious Indian who believes in the Constitution. This verdict has brought peace and restored faith in the judiciary among all those who, over the last 10-11 years, have suffered due to the misuse of the IT, CBI, and ED by the Central government and the BJP in their pursuit of political vendetta,” CM Siddaramaiah stated.

“Even after this eye-opening order by the Supreme Court, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah must wake up and put an end to the misuse of constitutional agencies like the IT, CBI, and ED. They must restore the autonomy that these institutions are meant to have and cleanse themselves of their sins,” he demanded.

The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed the Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by the ED, which had challenged the Karnataka High Court’s order quashing the ED notice to Karnataka CM’s wife and Minister Byrathi Suresh.

The CJI bench had objected to the ED notice and expressed displeasure while looking into the appeal.

Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai remarked that he unfortunately has some experience with such matters in Maharashtra. “Please do not force us to say something. Otherwise, we will have to make some very harsh remarks about the ED. Let political battles be fought among the electorate. Why are you allowing yourself to be used for this?” the bench questioned.

The bench further stated, “We do not find any error in the reasoning adopted by the single judge. In light of the peculiar facts and circumstances of the case, we dismiss the petition. We should thank you, ASG, for helping us avoid making harsh comments.”

–IANS

mka/dpb