BENGALURU: With Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot yet to take action on the petition filed by activist TJ Abraham seeking his sanction to prosecute Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in connection with the alleged scam in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA), speculation is rife about the former referring the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a probe.
In response to the petition by Abraham on July 26, the Governor had issued a show-cause notice to the CM on the same day seeking a reply. But on August 1, the Council of Ministers, in Siddaramaiah’s absence, had passed a resolution advising the Governor to withdraw the show-cause notice and reject the petition.
Whether the Governor gives sanction for prosecution or refers the case to the CBI remains to be seen.
Governor Gehlot has taken the opinion of the legal advisors to ensure that there is no friction between the Raj Bhavan and the State Government, said a Constitutional expert.
Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister HK Patil expressed confidence that the Governor will not give sanction to prosecution as the Council of Ministers had resolved against it. “When the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers is being given, I hope that the Governor will fall in line with this because the Raj Bhavan is not a place where politics can be played... but the BJP is trying to do the same, which is unfortunate. Article 163 also says that the Governor can use his discretion... but it cannot be used in such a way that it favours the BJP. I can only say that the Governor may not go beyond the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers. That situation (as some anticipate that the Governor may give sanction to prosecution) may not happen,” Patil elaborated.
There is skepticism in political corridors as to whether the resolution by the Council of Ministers gave immunity to Siddaramaiah in the case to some extent. “The Governor has the discretion to give sanction to prosecution without even issuing a show-cause notice. But he, however, issued a notice which turned a blessing in disguise for the CM. But the Governor has the discretion to refer the case to CBI,” observed a Constitutional expert.
A BJP-JDS delegation that met the Governor on July 25 had also demanded a CBI probe into the MUDA scam.