Mysuru: Congress leaders and members, in thousands, staged a massive rally, in support of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, in his home town of Mysuru, on Monday. They alleged that the Raj Bhavan, the office and residence of the Governor, has become the office of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), BJP and JD(S).
The protest was held against the prosecution sanction by Governor Tawar Chand Ghelot, against Siddaramaiah. The governor has given sanction for prosecution in the alleged Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam, in which the CM’s wife Parvathi has got 14 alternative sites in Vijayanagar of Mysuru, as compensation for her land in Kesare, on which MUDA has developed a layout.
Plea to President
The agitators gathered at Gandhi Square, held a public meeting and then marched to the Mysuru Deputy Commissioner’s office in Siddartha Nagar, on Bannur Road, shouting slogans in favour of the CM and against the Governor. They submitted a memorandum to the President of India Droupadi Murmu, through the DC of Mysuru, demanding her intervention to withdraw the prosecution sanction.
Minister H C Mahadevappa said, the Governor gave the sanction on August 16, immediately after Independence Day, which smacks of a conspiracy. “Neither the BJP nor the JD(S) have come to power on their own strength. They have always usurped power through the back door, proving that they have no respect for the Constitution. The BJP at the Centre is misusing Raj Bhawan for politics and to oust a democratically-elected government. Even though Siddaramaiah’s name is nowhere in the issue, they are accusing him,” he said.
Just a conspiracy?
Mahadevappa said, a purchased-land is being projected as a land of a Dalit beneficiary. “Despite having no evidence, the Governor issued a show-cause notice within a day, and again gave the sanction in a hurry. The BJP-JD(S) alliance is once more trying to usurp power through the backdoor and the Governor seems to be facilitating it, without doing a background check of the complainant. This is a conspiracy to taint the decades long clean image of Siddaramaiah. Already, cases on unconstitutional moves of Governors of Kerala, Punjab and West Bengal are pending before the Supreme Court,” Mahadevappa pointed out.
MLA and former minister Tanveer Sait said, the allotment of sites by MUDA has been done as per norms, as there is neither a recommendation letter nor pressure from the CM. “The Governor has unconstitutionally honoured a complaint by private persons. So, we support the CM and we are with him always. Siddaramaiah will continue as CM,” he said.
Political vendetta
President of Mysuru rural Congress B J Vijayakumar said, the President should direct the Governor, to withdraw the prosecution sanction against the CM, as it is rooted in political vendetta and lacks constitutional validity.
“The President should ensure that the office of the Governor remains apolitical and true to its constitutional mandate, serving the interest of the people and not the political ambitions of any party. The President should safeguard the democratic principles that form the cornerstone of our Republic, ensuring that the elected governments are not destabilised by ethical and unconstitutional means,” the memorandum states.
Vijayakumar said, it is a grave injustice and a politically motivated act that threatens the essence of democracy and Constitutional values. “It is not just a direct attack on the elected government, but a calculated conspiracy to destabilise mandated by the people of Karnataka,” the memorandum states.
“The Governor’s move is influenced by the Central government’s political interest. The BJP and its allies like JD(S) are misusing the Governor’s office to engineer a vendetta against Siddaramaiah, who is striving for the welfare of the people,” Vijayakumar added.
Five autorickshaws, depicting banners of the five guarantees and a women contingent, claiming to be beneficiaries of the guarantee schemes, were part of the protest march.
Minister K Venkatesh, ex-ministers M Shivanna and Umashree, ex-MLC Marithibbegowda, ex-chairman of MUDA H V Rajeev, MLAs K Harish Gowda, Ravishankar and Anil Chikkamadu, MLCs Dr Yathindra and D Thimmaiah, ex-MLA M K Somashekar and Congress city president R Murthy were present.