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HD Kumaraswamy (L) and DK Shivakumar. File pic/PTI
The delegation of cabinet ministers, MPs, MLAs, MLCs, and other leaders met the governor and presented a memorandum to point out that in the case of the Janata Dal (Secular) leader and BJP leaders, the investigation had already been completed and sanction was pending for years
The ruling Congress in Karnataka took out a procession to the Raj Bhavan on Saturday to request governor Thawar Chand Gehlot to sanction the prosecution of union minister HD Kumaraswamy and three former Bharatiya Janata Party ministers.
The delegation of cabinet ministers, MPs, MLAs, MLCs, and other leaders met the governor and presented a memorandum to point out that in the case of the Janata Dal (Secular) leader and BJP leaders, the investigation had already been completed and sanction was pending for years.
“Our suspicion is that the Raj Bhavan is becoming like an office of a political party. We urged him to protect the Raj Bhavan and the Constitution,” deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar, who led the procession to the Raj Bhavan from the Gandhi statue at the Vidhana Soudha, told the media.
Chief minister Siddaramaiah who was present at the dharna at the Gandhi statue, however, did not participate in the procession.
“In the case of Siddaramaiah, in which there is no proof, the governor chose to sanction his prosecution as soon as permission to sanction for prosecution was sought. We did not raise the issue of Siddaramaiah as he is fighting his case before the high court. But in the case of Kumaraswamy and the former BJP ministers, even investigation has been completed and awaiting the filing of the chargesheets pending the sanction,” Shivakumar said.
Nobody is permanent in politics, he said. “The governor’s office should not be allowed to convert into an office of a political party. A conspiracy is being hatched to destabilise a democratically elected government in Karnataka. The governor must uphold the dignity of the office and the Constitution and should permit sanction for the prosecution of Kumaraswamy and Murugesh Nirani, Janardhana Reddy, and Shashikala Jolle,” Shivakumar said.
According to him, the governor said that there were no requests pending before him seeking sanction for prosecution. “We have done our duty by appealing to him to be fair,” Shivakumar said.
