Governor's prosecution sanction: Cong legislators rally behind CM Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru, NT Bureau: The ruling Congress Legislature Party (CLP) in Karnataka met on Thursday and expressed unanimous support for Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, after the governor sanctioned his prosecution over the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment 'scam'.

The meeting attended by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress President D K Shivakumar, party legislators and MPs, also condemned Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot's action and accused him of indulging in politics at the behest of the BJP.

The CLP meeting comes a day ahead of both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar leaving for New Delhi to meet the party leadership to discuss the issue.

"All our legislators have unanimously said that they will stand by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah... Party workers across the state are fighting in his favour," Shivakumar said.

Speaking to reporters, he said senior legislator R V Deshpande proposed the resolution, seconded by another MLA Tanveer Sait, and unanimously supported by all legislators.

"The governor is doing politics. We have unanimously condemned his decision to give prosecution permission (against the CM) without any proper inquiry under 17A (of the Prevention of Corruption Act)," he added.

On August 16, the governor granted sanction for prosecution of Siddaramaiah in connection with MUDA site allotment 'scam'. He accorded sanction under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and Section 218 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita.