Congress criticises Karnataka governor’s bias, defends Siddaramaiah

Ahead of next week’s high court hearing concerning the controversial Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) case, Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah has received strong support from Congress leaders. The party has pledged to vigorously contest the case and is exploring all avenues, including a potential meeting with the President of India.

Following discussions with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Lok Sabha leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi, Siddaramaiah criticised the Karnataka governor’s decision to authorise his prosecution as illegal. He has already challenged this move in court.

“The challenge has been filed in court, though I prefer not to specify which one at this moment. The case is scheduled for 29 August. We trust in the legal system. The governor’s decision is unconstitutional and illegal, and we believe we will receive justice through the courts,” Siddaramaiah said.

Karnataka deputy chief minister D.K. Shivakumar, who joined Siddaramaiah at the meeting, emphasised the party’s unity and commitment to address the legal matter without intimidation. “The Congress leadership is firmly supporting Siddaramaiah,” Shivakumar said.

Kharge and Gandhi, along with senior Congress figures K.C. Venugopal and Randeep Surjewala, engaged in detailed discussions with Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar at the party headquarters in Delhi. Surjewala informed reporters that the Congress would challenge both the legal and political aspects of the prosecution sanction.

“The sanction from the governor is both legally and politically flawed,” Surjewala declared. “We will contest it in court and in the court of public opinion, where we have strong support. We have faith in the Constitution and the judiciary to deliver a fair outcome.”

The controversy stems from land allocations to Siddaramaiah’s wife, Parvathi, under MUDA. On 16 August, Karnataka governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot permitted three activists to file a complaint against the CM. Siddaramaiah has contested this order in the Karnataka High Court, which has postponed the hearing to 29 August and instructed special courts to halt further proceedings on related private complaints.

Surjewala criticised the sanction as an assault on the people of Karnataka and part of a broader attack on Congress’s welfare programs. “This is not merely about targeting our chief minister. It’s an attack on the people of Karnataka and an attempt to undermine the Congress government’s five guarantees, which benefit over four crore Kannadigas,” he said.

Surjewala also questioned the governor’s previous decisions not to authorize prosecution in cases involving former CMs B.S. Yediyurappa and H.D. Kumaraswamy. “The selective nature of these decisions reveals a partisan bias,” he argued. “We are considering all options, including a potential meeting with the President of India.”

Shivakumar reiterated the Congress’s solidarity with Siddaramaiah. The CM expressed gratitude to the party leadership and affirmed his confidence in the judicial system. “We trust the courts to uphold justice, as the Governor’s decision is both illegal and unconstitutional,” he said.

 “The CM and deputy CM informed Congress president Kharge and leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi about a planned attack from the BJP and JD(S), using the governor's office to destabilise the elected government,” Surjewala said. “In reality, this is an attempt to undermine the five Congress guarantees that provide over Rs 53,000 crore annually to more than four crore people in Karnataka.”

“This is also an attack on a backward-class chief minister who is the senior-most in the country,” he said, calling it a "revenge-seeking" move against the people of Karnataka. “Frustrated by a significant defeat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, home minister Amit Shah, and the entire BJP leadership are using the governor to target the Congress government in Karnataka. This isn't just an attempt to dislodge or destabilise the government; it's a broader attack on the Congress.”

"This is not an attack on our chief minister or deputy chief minister, this is an attack on the people of Karnataka by the Modi government, drunk on power and using a puppet governor to destabilise an elected government," said Surjewala.

Surjewala said that the BJP’s attacks are aimed at undermining Congress’s welfare initiatives and destabilising the Karnataka government. “This is a retaliatory move by a desperate BJP leadership. They are using the governor to attack our guarantees, which directly benefit the people of Karnataka,” he concluded.