Karnataka Congress Delegation To Seek Prosecution Sanction From Governor
Bengaluru: A delegation of Congress MLAs including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will meet Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot in Raj Bhavan, Bengaluru on Saturday in between 10 am to 10.30 am to submit a memorandum asking Governor to grant his sanction for prosecution in all investigated cases which are waiting for his nod.
“It will be a 250 meters walk from Gandhi statue in Vidhana Soudha to Raj Bhavan via Vidhana Soudha,” said Deputy Chief Minister and president of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee D.K. Shivakumar on Tuesday. “It is a reminder to the Governor on pending requests for prosecution,” he stated.
The move by the Congress party comes in the wake of Governor granting sanction to prosecute Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on August 16 this year in alleged irregularities in plot distribution to CM’s wife Pravathi by Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) in Mysuru city while prior requests for sanction for prosecution to the Governor has been pending for a couple of years.
At a press conference in Bengaluru, Shivakumar said the delegation of Congress MLAs will submit a memorandum to the Governor to grant sanction for prosecution against some of the pending requests against the Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy in connection with illegal iron ore mining, former MLA Paranna Munavalli, former minister of women and child welfare Sashikala Jolle, former minister of large and medium scale industries Murugesh Nirani and former tourism minister Gali Janardhan Reddy in connection disproportionate assets case.
“In granting sanction for prosecution against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has been accorded by the Governor without conduct of any investigation,” said Shivakumar while in other cases of requests for prosecution, investigations have been conducted and completed by Karnataka Lokayukta and Special Investigation Teams (SITs). In some cases, cases charge sheeted as well.
Regarding the claim by former Chief Minister and incumbent Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel that his signature was “forged” when he was the Chief Minister in 2007 to grant 550 acres in Sandur of Ballari district for mining to Sai Venkateshwara Minerals, Shivakumar asked Kumaraswamy to file a complaint either with Chief Minister or with the police to get the persons involved in his signature “forgery” investigated and action be initiated against such persons.
He termed the “forgery” claimed by Kumaraswamy was serious in nature and asked Kumarawamy “Why had he filed a police complaint (so far)?” He wanted Kumaraswamy to file a police complaint in Ramnagar, Channapatna, New Delhi or in Padmanabha Nagar or any police stations he wishes and later get the complaint transferred to get it investigated.
