BENGALURU: For the first time in the history of Karnataka, the Council of Ministers (CoM) at its meeting on Thursday, “advised” the Governor to withdraw a show-cause notice issued to the Chief Minister, while rejecting the petition seeking permission to prosecute the latter.
The CoM did this in relation with the alleged irregularities in the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) which allotted Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife Parvathi 14 sites in a prime location in Mysuru. This has raised a hue and cry in the opposition, which has demanded Siddaramaiah’s resignation.
Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot issued a show-cause notice to the CM on July 26, based on a petition filed by activist TJ Abraham on the same day.
The meeting was chaired by DCM DK Shivakumar in the absence of Siddaramaiah, who recused himself as the agenda involved a petition against him and his family members.
Guv did not consider material on record: DKS
In Siddaramaiah’s absence, it was the CoM meeting instead of a Cabinet meeting.
“We believe the Governor is sensible, and will oblige our plea… We have studied and considered court orders in other states in such cases. There is law and Constitution in our country, and we believe the Governor will not come under anyone’s pressure,’’ Shivakumar told reporters.
Law Minister HK Patil said CM Siddaramaiah had told them he would not participate in the cabinet meeting as he and his family members were involved in the petition. “The CM has upheld moral values. He felt his presence may not have allowed his cabinet ministers to take an unbiased decision,” Patil said.
Earlier in the day, the CM had called for a breakfast meeting with his cabinet colleagues, which went on for over three hours.
Shivakumar addressed the media with ministers HK Patil, MB Patil, Krishna Byre Gowda, G Parameshwara, Byrathi Suresh and CM’s legal adviser AS Ponnanna. The CoM was held for more than three hours. Shivakumar said after the Congress won the assembly polls last year, the Congress legislative party had decided to make Siddaramaiah the chief minister. “We respect the law and Constitution of this country, but the opposition party and Union government are misusing the Constitutional powers of the Governor. This is nothing but murder of democracy,’’ he said.
Shivakumar said on July 26, Abraham had filed the petition running into over 100 pages. On the same day, the chief secretary (then Rajneesh Goel) had replied to the Governor, who had sought a report from the CM on the MUDA case, based on a July 15 letter by the farmers’ association. The chief secretary had mentioned that a one-man judicial commission headed by Justice PN Desai was looking into the MUDA case, following which Governor Gehlot issued show-cause notice to CM Siddaramaiah.
“While issuing show-cause notice, the Governor failed to apply his mind to the facts of the case, and did not consider the material available on record. The issue of show-cause notice suffers from total non-application of mind,” he said, questioning the Governor’s “urgency’’ and alleged that he had done so without checking.
Shivakumar said the Governor had failed to take note of the fact that Abraham has criminal antecedents, with cases of blackmail and extortion registered against him. He said whenever there is a complaint against anyone, it has to be proved or a commission has to highlight it. “In a government set-up, if there is a case against any official, we don’t take action without probing. In this case, without a probe, how can the Governor issue show-cause notice, asking the CM to reply within seven days?’’ he questioned, adding that the CM would reply anyway.
Shivakumar said neither the CM nor his wife Parvathi had sought alternative sites. “Parvathi’s gift property was not acquired by MUDA, but encroached. They realised their mistake and offered MUDA sites. This did not happen when Siddaramaiah was CM, but during the BJP’s regime,” he said.
PETITION AGAINST BJP LEADERS
Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said there were similar complaints and appeals related to BJP leaders, including Shashikala Jolle, Murugesh Nirani, Janardhan Reddy and others, and these petitions were pending at the Governor’s office. But in Siddaramaiah’s case, the Governor issued show-cause notice within a few minutes, he added.