D K Shivakumar
Credit: Special arrangement.
The Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka, D K Shivakumar, on Saturday said that the Congress would hold a state-wide protest against the Governor's decision to sanction prosecution against CM Siddaramaiah.
In a post in Kannada on X, Shivakumar said, "A statewide protest has been organized on August 19, Monday at 11 am, against the Governor's permission for prosecution against the CM Siddaramaiah. I request all party workers and leaders to participate in this protest."
Earlier on Saturday, Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot granted sanction for prosecution of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment 'scam’, sparking a political storm and demands by the BJP for the Congress leader's resignation.
"You all know that the BJP and the JD(S) are hatching a big conspiracy against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. It's our duty to fight against it," DKS said.
Shivakumar said the Congress will fight against the conspiracy that aims to "finish off Siddaramaiah".
"We need to fight against the misuse of the office of the Governor, which granted permission to prosecute the Chief Minister," he said.
The Congress state president called upon the party leaders and workers to participate in the protest in large numbers.
Siddaramaiah, 76, has firmly ruled out his resignation -- both before and after a specially convened meeting of the state Cabinet -- and said he has done no wrong to quit after the governor's move in the alleged corruption case dealt a big jolt to the nearly 15-month-old Congress government.
As the Congress and the state Cabinet rallied behind Siddaramaiah, a prominent OBC leader, the chief minister and his deputy D K Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress chief, had immediately denounced the governor's action, calling it "unconstitutional and illegal".
The governor’s sanction, which comes at a time when the Congress is facing a factional feud in a key southern state, is expected to pave the way for investigating agencies to initiate a probe into the allegations against the chief minister.
Congress workers and supporters of Siddaramaiah have already staged protests in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mandya and several other parts of the state against the governor's move.
(With PTI inputs)