BENGALURU: Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge on Saturday alleged that Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot’s decision to grant sanction for the prosecution of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the alleged MUDA ‘scam’ has been orchestrated by the central government.
The Karnataka Governor’s decision to sanction the prosecution of CM @siddaramaiah in the MUDA case has been orchestrated by the Central Government.
Raj Bhavan is being misused as the BJP’s tool to undermine a democratically elected government. The Constitutional head of the…
— Priyank Kharge / ಪ್ರಿಯಾಂಕ್ ಖರ್ಗೆ (@PriyankKharge) August 17, 2024
In a post on X, the minister said, “The Karnataka Governor’s decision to sanction the prosecution of CM @siddaramaiah in the MUDA case has been orchestrated by the Central Government. Raj Bhavan is being misused as the BJP’s tool to undermine a democratically elected government”.
He also said, “The Constitutional head of the State is sparking a constitutional crisis to appease his political masters. The Central Government may throw its full weight behind this, but we stand firm with the Constitution on our side”..
His reaction came after Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Saturday granted permission to prosecute Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the alleged Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam, according to the Raj Bhavan sources on Saturday.
Siddaramaiah has been maintaining that everything was done according to the law. Challenging the move, the Karnataka government said they will move the High Court against the governor’s permission for prosecution.
Earlier this month, refuting the allegations, CM Siddaramaiah said, “In the MUDA case, everything was done according to law. I have not exerted any kind of influence on the allotment of the plot. My wife has been given a replacement plot in 2021 during the government period of the BJP government as per the law”.
Congress MP Manickam Tagore alleged that the governor’s office is being misused to undermine an honest and genuine OBC leader. He said, “Despite relentless attempts to undermine a genuine OBC leader, the will of the people will prevail. Misusing the Governor’s office to defame an honest CM shows the desperation of those who can’t tolerate true leadership. The people will see through these tactics and Sanghi uncles”.
The Governor has exercised his constitutional powers to authorize legal action on the MUDA scam complaint against the Chief Minister.
Given the substantial evidence and serious allegations of corruption and favoritism within the Congress government, it is crucial that the Chief… pic.twitter.com/MyPymDBO44
— Vijayendra Yediyurappa (@BYVijayendra) August 17, 2024
Defending the governor’s move, BJP state president B Y Vijayendra said that the governor has exercised his constitutional powers. “The Hon’ble Governor has exercised his constitutional powers and allowed legal action to be taken against the chief minister’s Muda scam complaint,” he said in a post on X.
He further alleged, “By keeping enough records and evidence against the corrupt scandals of the Congress government and against the bias and corruption of the Chief Minister’s relatives @siddaramaiah has demonstrated that there is no one to shake him”.
Earlier, a complaint was filed by social activist Snehamayi Krishna against CM Siddaramaiah and nine others for allegedly forging documents to claim compensation from the Mysuru Urban Development Authority. (ANI)