Karnataka Congress Rallies Against Governor's Decision to Prosecute CM Siddaramaiah

The Karnataka Congress will hold protests across the state in response to Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot granting permission to prosecute Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over the alleged MUDA site scam. Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar called the decision a 'murder of democracy' and urged peaceful protests.

The Karnataka Congress is set to launch a series of state-wide protests against the recent move by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to authorize the prosecution of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in connection with the MUDA alternative site 'scam'.

The Governor's sanction, announced on Saturday, was based on complaints by activists T J Abraham, Pradeep Kumar S P, and Snehamayi Krishna, although Siddaramaiah has robustly denied any wrongdoing and pledged to challenge the charges legally.

Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, who also heads the state Congress, announced Sunday that protest rallies would take place in all district headquarters. He criticized the Governor's decision as a 'murder of democracy' and called on party members to ensure peaceful demonstrations, free from the influence of anti-social elements.

Shivakumar disclosed that he had briefed AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge about the situation, and mentioned that any decision on nationwide protests would come from the AICC. He further urged Congress leaders to organize kilometre-long marches to Taluk and district offices to submit memos addressed to President Droupadi Murmu. He accused the BJP and JD(S) of conspiring against Siddaramaiah and vowed that the Congress would fight back.

Shivakumar declared that the party would resist what he termed as an attempt to 'finish off Siddaramaiah', and criticized the Governor's office for its involvement. The Congress state Cabinet has thrown its full support behind the Chief Minister, dismissing calls from the opposition for his resignation.