Karnataka Governor weighing options after Cong govt. urges him to withdraw show-cause notice to CM

PTI, Aug 6, 2024, 7:35 PM IST

Thawar Chand Gehlot (File photo)

Bengaluru: With the ball now in the Governor’s court vis-a-vis the petition seeking sanction for Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s prosecution in connection with the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment ‘scam’, all eyes are on the Raj Bhavan, as to what decision Thawar Chand Gehlot takes.

Based on a petition filed by advocate-activist T J Abraham, the Governor had issued “show-cause notice” on July 26 directing the Chief Minister to submit his reply to the allegations against him within seven days, as to why permission for prosecution should not be granted against him.

The Karnataka government on August 1 “strongly advised” him to withdraw his “show-cause notice” , and alleged “gross misuse of the Constitutional Office” of the Governor.

The council of Ministers had said a concerted effort was being made to destabilise a lawfully elected majority government in Karnataka for political considerations.

Minister of Higher Education M C Sudhakar and Abraham visited the Raj Bhavan and met the Governor, who has returned from his Delhi visit, separately on Tuesday, official sources said.

Sudhakar’s meeting was to do with issues relating to universities as the Governor is Chancellor, an official said, but did not rule out a discussion regarding the show-cause notice.

Abraham told reporters that he has “absolutely strong hope” that the prosecution sanction will be given.

“It was a fantastic meeting where the Governor wanted to clarify. He wanted to clear the cloud which was around him (the Governor), which was created by the Cabinet. Sitting for more than three hours, they (the Cabinet) could not answer even one of my allegations against the CM, but they find that I’m guilty of being a bad man,” he said.

Stating that when there is an allegation made about the complainant it is natural to seek clarity, Abraham said: “I believe that I have given that clarity to the Governor, and I believe that he has understood it, and I hope that he is convinced and he will proceed further.”

Speaking to reporters after the meeting of the Council of Ministers on August 1, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar had said the Governor failed to take note of the fact that Abraham comes with criminal antecedents having criminal cases of blackmail and extortion registered against him.

According to sources, the Governor may be exploring options, including suggesting an independent inquiry into the MUDA scam or seeking a probe report from the Lokayukta, with whom the petitioner Abraham has already filed a complaint — as granting sanction for prosecution “straightaway now” may lead to a long drawn legal battle.

Siddaramaiah on Monday said that the Congress government led by him is ready to fight legally and politically, in case the Governor rejects the Cabinet’s advice to withdraw the “show-cause notice” to him, and grants permission for prosecution.

“We have said that the show-cause notice has to be withdrawn. Also, we have asked for a petition by T J Abraham (activist) seeking permission for prosecution to be rejected. Let’s see what decision the Governor takes. He has not made a decision yet. We are ready to fight legally…both legally and politically we will fight,” Siddaramaiah had said.

The BJP and JD(S) are on a week-long ‘Mysuru Chalo’ padayatre (foot march) since Saturday against the alleged fraudulent allotment of sites by MUDA to those who lost land to other development projects, including to Siddaramaiah’s wife Parvathi, and are demanding his resignation.

The Congress would unitedly fight against the BJP and JD(S)’s attempts to “destabilise” the Siddaramaiah government, the party said on Sunday, backing its Chief Minister, who is being targeted by the opposition BJP and JD(S) on the issue.

Congress said this after its General Secretary in-charge of Organisation K C Venugopal held a meeting with state ministers, along with AICC General Secretary in-charge of the state Randeep Singh Surjewala, Siddaramaiah, and Shivakumar, who is also the party’s Karnataka unit chief.

In the MUDA ‘scam’, it is alleged that compensatory sites were allotted to Siddaramaiah’s wife Parvathi in an upmarket area in Mysuru, which had higher property value as compared to the location of her land which had been “acquired” by the MUDA.

The MUDA had allotted plots to Parvathi under a 50:50 ratio scheme in lieu of 3.16 acres of her land, where MUDA developed a residential layout.

Under the controversial scheme, MUDA allotted 50 per cent of developed land to the land losers in lieu of undeveloped land acquired from them for forming residential layouts.

BJP leaders have claimed that the MUDA “scam” is of the magnitude of Rs 4,000 crore to Rs 5,000 crore.

The Congress government on July 14 constituted a single member inquiry commission under former High Court Judge Justice P N Desai to probe the MUDA ‘scam’.