BENGALURU: The Congress Legislature Party (CLP) on Thursday reaffirmed its faith in Chief Minister Siddaramaiah as its leader in the aftermath of Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot granting permission to prosecute the CM in the alleged site allotment scam in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA). The Congress legislators also passed a unanimous resolution of standing by the CM and resolved to condemn the governor for granting permission to prosecute the CM. The CLP also sent out a strong message that it has confidence in Siddaramaiah and that the Congress government in Karnataka is stable.
The CLP’s backing has comes as a shot in the arm for Siddaramaiah ahead of the August 29 hearing of the writ petition filed by him challenging the governor’s decision in the Karnataka High Court.
Siddaramaiah, who chaired the CLP, briefed the Congress MLAs, MLCs, and MPs that he has no role in the alleged illegal allotment of 14 sites to his wife Parvathi by MUDA.
DyCM DK Shivakumar, who was also present, said that the CLP meeting condemned the governor’s decision to allow for an inquiry against the CM. “All the legislators unanimously took a decision of supporting CM Siddaramaiah,” Shivakumar, who is also Karnataka Congress president, said.
Addressing the media after the CLP meeting in the presence of Siddaramaiah in Vidhana Soudha, Shivakumar said, “Senior MLA RV Deshpande proposed the resolutions condemning the governor’s decision to allow inquiry against the CM under Section 17(A) without any preliminary investigation. Another senior MLA, Tanvir Sait, gave approval.”
Six Congress legislators, who are in Delhi for a training programme as instructed by Assembly Speaker UT Khader, skipped the meeting.
“The BJP and JDS, who are trying to destabilise the Congress government formed with the blessings of the people, cannot succeed in their attempt,” Shivakumar added.
“We have also filed a writ petition in the High Court challenging the governor’s decision. We have faith in the court that we will be protected from the governor’s decision, which is illegal and unconstitutional,” the DyCM added.
He said that the same tactic used to target Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who was dismissed as an MP on charges of making a derogatory speech, was being used to corner Siddaramaiah now.
He said they will once again request the governor withdraw the sanction. “If that happens, then the Constitution will be protected and the law of the land respected. We have started a legal fight... if the governor wishes to avoid the embarrassment, he should withdraw his decision,” Shivakumar elaborated.
CM’s political advisor and Aland MLA BR Patil suggested that the CLP hold a Congress legislators’ parade before the President of India in New Delhi to express the anguish against the governor’s decision. But the CLP decided to go by the decision of the party high command.
“The CLP debated the MUDA issue. The CM and DyCM will meet high command leaders in Delhi on Friday and will discuss whether to approach the President or to take all the I.N.D.I.A bloc together to fight the case,” Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara said.