Congress party, Karnataka govt stand firm behind Siddaramaiah: Shivakumar

Deputy chief minister and Karnataka Congress president D.K. Shivakumar declared on Saturday, 17 August, that the party and the state government stand firmly behind chief minister Siddaramaiah asserting that there is no question of his resignation.

Shivakumar made these comments during a press conference with cabinet colleagues at the Vidhana Soudha on Saturday regarding the Governor’s nod to prosecute Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the MUDA scam.

"A conspiracy is underway to destabilise the government by misusing the governor's office and trapping CM Siddaramaiah in false cases. The entire Congress party and the government stand firmly behind Siddaramaiah. There is no question of his resignation," declared Dy CM Shivakumar.

“Siddaramaiah is our chief minister and will continue as chief minister. Our chief minister will not succumb to any pressure. He will continue in his role, and together we will continue to serve the people of the state,” the deputy CM asserted.

“Not just the Congress party, but the entire INDIA bloc will stand with our chief minister. False cases have been created against him. Therefore, we will continue our fight within the legal framework and politically among the people,” he said.

“We will fight against the BJP’s attempt to turn the governor's office into a BJP office. We must protect democracy and the Constitution. The permission for investigation against the chief minister is unconstitutional. We respect the law and trust that the judicial system will not allow injustice. We are prepared for a legal battle,” he added.

“The central BJP government cannot tolerate the rise of a leader from the backward classes as chief minister for the second time. We will fight against this conspiracy,” he said.

“The governor’s office should not be a puppet of the BJP. Our government allocates Rs 56,000 crore annually for the poor. This conspiracy is aimed at undermining a government that has implemented such historic schemes. This attempt to remove the government will not succeed under any circumstances,” he declared.

“Various courts have guided how governors should act in such cases. Examples include cases from West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, Telangana, and Punjab,” he said.

“This morning, the Governor made a constitutionally and democratically damaging decision. We had responded to the notice issued on 26 July 2024, from the governor on 1 August with a detailed reply. We also requested a cabinet meeting to reject this malicious complaint,” deputy CM Shivakumar stated.

“None of the three complaints in this case have any merit. We have explained the constitutional and legal aspects, asserting that this is a politically motivated complaint and should not be considered. The government elected by the people should be respected. We have clearly informed the governor and the public that our chief minister has not abused his power and there are no flaws,” he said.

“The position of governor is highly significant. We all respect the governor greatly. We work under their guidance. Therefore, we are committed to upholding the values of the Constitution. We swear by the Constitution and hold our position with integrity,” Shivakumar stated.

“In our political experience, if permission for an investigation is to be granted, it should be based on a preliminary inquiry report from the investigative agency indicating that an investigation of the person in the chief minister’s position is necessary. But here, no legal process has been followed. There are previous instances of similar situations,” he said.

“Take the example of Union minister H.D. Kumaraswamy’s case. The Lokayukta investigated, and the institution requested the governor on 23 November 2023 to grant permission for an inquiry. On 13 May 2024, a request was sent to grant permission for an inquiry against former BJP minister Janardhana Reddy. On 9 December 2021, a letter was sent to the Governor requesting permission to investigate former minister and BJP MLA Shashikala Jolle. On 9 December 2020, a request was made for an inquiry against former BJP minister Murugesh Nirani. In all these cases, permission for an inquiry was requested based on preliminary investigation reports,” he explained.

“The governor has yet to decide on these requests. However, in this case, the governor issued a show-cause notice to the government within 24 hours of receiving the complaint and then ordered permission for the investigation. This is not just a conspiracy against CM Siddaramaiah. It is a conspiracy against a government that came to power with the strength of 136 plus two legislators and against the blessing of the people of the state in a democratic system,” he asserted.

“The Governor’s office is being misused in this conspiracy. Union ministers Prahlad Joshi and Kumaraswamy have stated that they will topple this government in the next 8-10 months, and this conspiracy is complementary to that statement,” he added.

In response to a media question about whether this decision to stand with CM Siddaramaiah is the cabinet’s decision or the high command's pressure, Shivakumar stated, “There is no question of the Congress high command in this matter. Both I and my cabinet colleagues are capable of facing this struggle. We are all united and will remain united.”

When asked about the appropriateness of having a retired judge lead the investigation and considering whether the case should be examined, he said, “We will address the governor’s statements and decisions legally and politically. We had respect for the governor. We had requested to reject these complaints. Yet, permission for the investigation has been granted.”