– Mohammed Atherulla Shariff
Bengaluru, August 17: A second move is made on the political chessboard in Karnataka after a soldier TJ Abrahm had sought permission from the Governor to prosecute the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the alleged Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land scam case.
Karnataka Governor Thawarchand Gehlot has granted sanction for prosecution of the CM today. The sanction was granted to three private complainants, of which, two have already filed complaints in court.
Reacting to Saturday’s development, Congress spokesperson Ramesh Babu said the Governor’s assent is “against the order of the state High Court in the Yediyurappa case, is biased and part of a conspiracy. Congress will launch a legal fight to nullify the Governor’s move.”
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has said Governor is acting as a puppet of the Central Government, claiming that the decision to grant permission for his prosecution is a conspiracy to destabilize the elected government.
Speaking to the media about the Governor’s approval of prosecution against him in the MUDA land allocation case, Siddaramaiah said, “This is an unconstitutional move, and we will challenge it legally.”
He further alleged that a major conspiracy is being orchestrated by the BJP, JD(S), and some leaders in Karnataka to bring down the state government, similar to what was done in Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, and Delhi.
“There is no valid case against me, and this decision by the Governor is politically motivated,” he said.
Despite the Governor’s actions, Siddaramaiah made it clear that he had no intention of resigning. He stated that party leaders, legislators, and cabinet ministers are standing by him, and criticized the BJP for lacking the moral right to demand his resignation. He also accused the Central Government of being against social justice and the welfare schemes introduced by the Congress government, saying, “They cannot tolerate our success.”
The Chief Minister also pointed out that complaints against leaders like former CM H.D. Kumaraswamy, Murugesh Nirani, Shashikala Jolle, and Janardhan Reddy have not led to any action by the Governor. He noted that, although permission was sought in November to investigate Kumaraswamy for unauthorized mining licenses, no action has been taken.
The Karnataka government is expected to challenge the sanction in the High Court on Monday, and a special meeting of the Cabinet has been convened on Saturday evening at 5 pm.
A sanction from the Governor is needed to file a private complaint against the CM in a case of alleged corruption. Based on the private complaints filed in court and the sanction accorded by the Governor, the court will decide if an FIR can be registered in the case. Earlier, the Governor had asked a private complainant, TJ Abraham, to appear in Raj Bhavan today.
Siddaramaiah has been facing criticism from the opposition in the state for an alleged land deal involving the allotment of 14 housing sites in Mysuru to his wife and the theft of Rs 89.73 crore from a state development corporation for the welfare of Scheduled Tribes.
The scam involves alleged irregularities in the 50:50 incentive scheme of the Mysuru Urban Development Authority.
