Karnataka Congress conducted ‘Raj Bhavan Chalo’ protest on Saturday alleging misuse of the governor’s office and said the Raj Bhavan should not become office of a political party.
Congress leaders including party MPs, MLAs and others marched to Raj Bhavan from Vidhana Soudha demanding the governor’s office to act in an apolitical manner. Shivakumar, along with other Congress leaders, handed over a petition to Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot at the Raj Bhavan at the end of the protest.
Talking to presspersons, Shivakumar said, “The delegation met the governor today. He heard us patiently and he assured us about the justice. The Raj Bhavan shouldn't become a political office,” ANI reported. The Congress leader charged there are attempts to destabilize the Congress government in the state.
Shivakumar said the march was not organised to protest against the governor sanctioning the prosecution of CM in connection with the MUDA scam. He added the march was taken out to demand the governor to protect the sanctity of the constitutional post. Earlier, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, his cabinet colleagues and other Congress leaders staged a sit-in protest near the Gandhi statue in the Vidhana Soudha premises.
The Congress government is at loggerheads with the governor after he granted permission to investigate and prosecute the CM in the alleged MUDA site allotment scam.
The governor earlier this month accorded sanction to prosecuteSiddaramaiah under section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and Section 218 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 for the commission of offences as mentioned in the petitions of social activist T.J. Abraham, Pradeep Kumar S.P, and Snehamayi Krishna.
The state cabinet, which met on August 1 under the leadership of Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar (after the CM had recused himself), had passed a resolution advising the governor to withdraw the show-cause notice and to reject the petition filed by the RTI activist. The chief minister also replied to the notice on August 3, denying the allegations.