Congress delegation submits petition to Karnataka Governor seeking sanction for prosecution of H. D. Kumaraswamy, three former ministers of BJP government

They demanded prosecution of the JD(S) and BJP leaders under Section 19 of the Prevention of Corruption Act and Section 218 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), as sought by the Karnataka Lokayukta police and grant of prior approval under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (Amendment Act, 2018) as sought for by the Lokayukta police.

Amidst Karnataka High Court hearing Governor’s sanction of prosecution of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for alleged irregularities in the allotment of 14 sites by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority allotment (MUDA), Mr Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar, Ministers, legislators and leaders of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee walked in a procession to Raj Bhavan on August 31. They demanded that Governor Thaarwar Chand Gehlot sanction prosecution of Union Industries Minister and JD(S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy, former minister and BJP MLAs Janardhan Reddy and Shashikala Jolle, and former Minister and former MLA Murugesh Nirani.

They demanded prosecution of the JD(S) and BJP leaders under Section 19 of the Prevention of Corruption Act and Section 218 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), as sought by the Karnataka Lokayukta police and grant of prior approval under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (Amendment Act, 2018) as sought for by the Lokayukta police.

Since the Governor has not given his assent to 11 Bills passed by the State legislature seeking clarifications, their memorandum demanded speedy approval of the Bills.

They staged a dharna before the Mahatma Gandhi statue at the State Secretariat in Bengaluru before heading to Raj Bhavan to submit a memorandum to the Governor.

In the petition to Mr Gehlot, they demanded that the Raj Bhavan end abuse of the office of the Governor and stop acting on political considerations. “The sanctity of the office of the Governor is in grave danger,” the petition stated.

“We are deeply troubled that you proceeded to act in undue haste based on frivolous petitions while granting sanction in the case of Mr Siddaramaiah whereas, proceeded to keep in cold storage, the request for sanction of prosecution of H.D. Kumaraswamy.”

The Congress demanded prosecution of Mr Kumaraswamy for his alleged involvement in the illegal approval of 550-acre mining lease to Sri Sai Venkateshwara Minerals in 2007.