Massive protest in CM’s home district against move to prosecute him

Large turnout in Mysuru as Congress protests Governor's decision to prosecute Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in alleged MUDA 'scam'.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s home district Mysuru witnessed a large turnout of supporters for the protest organised by the Congress party against Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot’s decision to sanction his prosecution in the alleged MUDA ‘scam’.

Hundreds of party workers and supporters of Mr. Siddaramaiah gathered at Gandhi Square in Mysuru on Monday, where the party leaders addressed the gathering.

Later, the party workers and his supporters marched through the streets of the city in a mammoth padayatra towards the new Deputy Commissioner’s office in Siddharthanagar, where a memorandum was handed over to Additional Deputy Commissioner P. Shivaraj.

The memorandum urged President Droupadi Murmu to immediately intervene and direct the Governor to withdraw the sanction for prosecution of the Chief Minister.

Congress leaders including Minister in charge of Mysuru district H.C. Mahadevappa and working president of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) Tanveer Sait were among the leaders, who participated in the protest.

Addressing the gathering at Gandhi Square, Mr. Mahadevappa, who is also the Social Welfare Minister, said the BJP and JD(S) were trying to destabilise a democratically elected government through “deceit”. Though the two Opposition parties were using the Governor’s office through the Centre against Mr. Siddaramaiah, the Minister said their efforts will be defeated.

Claiming that the MUDA (Mysuru Urban Development Authority) had itself accepted its mistake of encroaching upon the land belonging to Mr. Siddaramaiah’s wife while developing a layout and had allotted sites in compensation, Mr. Mahadevappa said the Governor had sanctioned the Chief Minister’s prosecution on the basis of “baseless” complaints by private persons.