CM Siddaramaiah
Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Saturday made strong allegations against the state’s Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, accusing him of acting as a “puppet” of the central government. The remarks came in response to the Governor’s decision to grant permission for Siddaramaiah’s prosecution based on a petition alleging irregularities in the allocation of sites by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) during Siddaramaiah’s tenure.
The petition, filed by advocate-activist T J Abraham, prompted Governor Gehlot to approve a prosecution sanction, despite the Karnataka state cabinet’s advice to withdraw the show-cause notice issued to the Chief Minister and to reject the petition.
In a fiery post on X (formerly Twitter), CM Siddaramaiah expressed outrage over the Governor’s decision, calling it a “sinister conspiracy” aimed at destabilizing the democratically elected Congress-led government in the state.
“The Honorable Governor has become a puppet in the hands of the Central Government. Granting prosecution sanction against me is nothing but a sinister conspiracy to destabilize an elected government. This is a direct threat to democracy!” Siddaramaiah wrote.
Allegations of Political Vendetta
CM Siddaramaiah further accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of orchestrating the move in collaboration with the Janata Dal (Secular) (JD(S)), calling it an attempt to undermine the success of the Congress government’s welfare initiatives, particularly the party’s flagship Guarantee schemes aimed at benefiting common citizens.
“The Governor has been reduced to a political weapon by the BJP. They lack any moral right to demand my resignation. The BJP cannot stomach the success of our @INCKarnataka government and the Guarantee schemes that are benefiting the common people. We stand strong and united against this political vendetta!” he added.
Governor’s Decision ‘Unconstitutional,’ Says CM Siddaramaiah
Siddaramaiah did not mince words when calling out the Governor’s action as “unconstitutional,” insisting that there is no substantial case against him. He emphasized that the government would challenge the prosecution sanction in court.
“We will challenge this illegal sanction in the court of law. From the very day the complaint was filed against me, a show-cause notice was issued. This move by the Governor was anticipated,” the Chief Minister stated.
He also referred to a broader “conspiracy” being plotted by opposition parties in the state, drawing parallels to similar situations that allegedly unfolded in other Congress-governed states like Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, and Delhi.
“Just as they did in Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, and Delhi, they are now attempting to execute their plans in Karnataka. We will not let this pass!” Siddaramaiah asserted.
BJP Responds
In response to Siddaramaiah’s statements, the Karnataka BJP dismissed the claims as baseless. Party leaders stated that the Governor acted within the bounds of his constitutional authority and that the Congress government should address the legal concerns instead of attacking the office of the Governor.
The political standoff between the Congress government and the Governor is expected to intensify as the matter heads to the judiciary.
