Karnataka: Siddaramaiah moves HC against prosecution nod, amid statewide protest

The political tug-of-war between the Congress and the BJP in Karnataka has escalated, with chief minister Siddaramaiah moving the Karnataka High Court to challenge the governor's decision to allow his prosecution in the alleged Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam.

Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot, who is a former BJP MP, gave the green light for Siddaramaiah's prosecution on 17 August, a move that the chief minister has decried as "politically motivated".

The state cabinet responded by calling the decision a "gross misuse of the Constitutional office" and urged the governor to withdraw the sanction. The ruling Congress party has vowed to take on the BJP over what it sees as a "politically charged" attempt to undermine the state government.

Karnataka deputy chief minister D.K. Shivakumar, who is also the Congress state president, said on Sunday, 18 August: "Protest rallies will be held [on Monday, 19 August] in all district headquarters across the state. All party leaders and workers will participate."

Social activists T.J. Abraham and Snehamayi Krishna from Mysuru and Pradeep Kumar S.P. from Bangalore were the plaintiffs who sought sanction to prosecute the chief minister in an alleged land allocation scam by the MUDA.

The activists called for legal action against the chief minister and governor Gehlot, in a notice to Siddaramaiah, had sought an explanation within seven days as to why he should not be prosecuted.

Calling the governor’s decision a "murder of democracy", the veteran Congress leader said that Gehlot is making a case out of nothing. Shivakumar added that he has instructed party leaders to carry out the statewide protests peacefully.

The MUDA scam has become the latest flashpoint in Karnataka politics, rife with a tug of war between the ruling Congress and the recently unseated BJP. As the matter heads to court, the Congress has signalled its readiness to fight back, framing the issue as part of a larger pattern of BJP-led central interference in states governed by opposition parties.

The outcome of the legal battle, per Karnataka watchers, may have significant implications — not just for the Karnataka government, but also for the broader political landscape in the country, as pertains to the struggle over federalism in India, in particular.