Governor can't 'pick and choose' and be 'selective', says CM on prosecution sanction against him
Bengaluru, Aug 20: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot should function like a representative of the President of India and not the central government.
He said the Governor should not ‘pick and choose’ and be selective in the matter of granting sanction for prosecution.
“Governor is a constitutional post and we respect it. What we say is that he should work as a representative of the President of India and not the Central government,” Siddaramaiah told reporters here.
Gehlot on August 16 granted sanction permitting investigation against Siddaramaiah under 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act and prosecution under Section 218 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, in connection with the Mysuru Urban Development Authority site allotment 'scam.'
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The Chief Minister recalled that the Karnataka Lokayukta had sought Governor’s approval to prosecute Union Minister for Steel and Heavy Industries H D Kumaraswamy on November 23, 2023 in connection with Sri Sai Venkateshwara Minerals case but till now no permission has been granted.
The state ombudsman on Monday again submitted a proposal to the Governor seeking his permission to file a charge-sheet against Kumaraswamy, who had allegedly granted mining lease to the private firm when he was the Chief Minister in 2007 in violation of law.
Siddaramaiah also pointed out that the Governor did not give permission to the Lokayukta to prosecute former BJP Ministers Shashikala Jolle, Murugesh Nirani and G Janardhana Reddy.
“On the other hand, T J Abraham lodged a (private) complaint against me with the Governor on July 26 at 11 am and 10 hours later I was served a show-cause notice. Isn’t it discrimination? That’s the reason that the Governor was told not to use ‘pick and choose’ and should not do it selectively,” Siddaramaiah said.
In his writ petition challenging the Governor's order in the High Court on Monday, the Chief Minister submitted that it was issued without due application of mind, in violation of statutory mandates, and contrary to constitutional principles, including the advice of the Council of Ministers, which is binding under Article 163 of the Constitution of India.
Siddaramaiah, who has vehemently denied any wrongdoing, said the Governor’s decision is legally unsustainable, procedurally flawed, and motivated by extraneous considerations.
On the petition filed by him, the High Court passed interim orders directing the trial court to defer proceedings on complaints against him and further instructing that no precipitative action be taken pursuant to the sanction till August 29.
The BJP has demanded the Chief Minister's resignation to pave way for a transparent and unbiased investigation.
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Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
