Police detain BJP workers as they try gherao CM Siddaramaiah’s official residence

BENGALURU: The police detained BJP workers when they tried to gherao Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s official residence here on Wednesday.

The BJP workers raised slogans against the Chief Minister demanding his resignation after his plea against Governor’s sanction to investigate him in the alleged MUDA land allotment scam was dismissed by the High Court.

The Congress has ruled out the Chief Minister’s resignation, reiterating their allegation that the governor’s office was misused by the ruling BJP at the Centre. They also said that Siddaramaiah will also appeal against the single bench order of the High Court.

The CM claimed that the BJP and JD(S) are targeting him because he stands for the poor and fights for social justice. “They have launched political retribution against me because they can’t bear to see the pro-people schemes we have introduced. But I have unwavering faith in the law and our Constitution. Ultimately, the truth will prevail in this fight.

“I want the people of Karnataka to recognise the truth behind these fabricated allegations regarding the MUDA case.The BJP and JD(S) are attempting to stop the pro-poor schemes of our government. The same leaders now calling for my resignation are the ones who opposed every initiative I introduced for the poor and marginalised,” he said.

CM Siddaramaiah said that he will fight this legal battle and emerge stronger. However, BJP leaders said that the Chief Minister has lost his moral standing to stay in the office after the High Court verdict.

The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday dismissed Siddaramaiah’s petition challenging Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot’s approval for an investigation into alleged illegalities in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority’s (MUDA) allotting sites to his wife.

In his judgment, the single judge bench of Justice Nagaprasanna said that the order of sanction for prosecution does not suffer from non-application of mind by the Governor. It is alleged that MUDA illegally allotted 14 sites to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife in the prime location of Mysuru city.

The High Court, in its interim order passed on August 19, had granted a temporary relief to Siddaramaiah by directing a special court in Bengaluru to defer further proceedings and not to take any precipitative action pursuant to the sanction granted by the Governor. (ANI)