Ready to fight legally and politically on Guv's possible nod for prosecution: CM Siddaramaiah
Belagavi (Karnataka) (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said that the Congress government led by him is ready to fight legally and politically, in case Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot rejects the Cabinet's advice to withdraw the "show-cause notice" to him in connection with the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment 'scam', and grants permission for prosecution.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, "We have said that the show-cause notice has to be withdrawn. Also, we have asked for the petition by T J Abraham (activist) seeking permission for prosecution to be rejected. Let's see what decision the Governor takes. He has not made a decision yet."
"We are ready to fight legally...both legally and politically we will fight," he said.
Based on a petition filed by advocate-activist T J Abraham, the Governor had issued a "show-cause notice" on July 26 directing the chief minister to submit his reply to the allegations against him within seven days, as to why permission for prosecution should not be granted against him.
The Karnataka government on Thursday "strongly advised" the Governor to withdraw his "show-cause notice" to the chief minister, and alleged "gross misuse of the Constitutional Office'' of the Governor.
The council of Ministers after their meeting, had said a concerted effort is being made to destabilise a lawfully elected majority government in Karnataka for political considerations.
Earlier today, in Bengaluru, Home Minister G Parameshwara expressed hope that the Governor will not reject the Cabinet's advice to withdraw his "show-cause notice" to the chief minister.
ALSO READ: Cong govt will fight legally, Guv's possible nod for prosecution against CM: Parameshwara
He said, in case the Governor rejects the Cabinet's advice and grants permission for prosecution against the CM, the Congress government will fight it legally.
"As a Cabinet we have advised the Governor to withdraw his show-cause notice and to reject the petition seeking Siddaramaiah's prosecution by activist T J Abraham. I'm hopeful and don't feel that the Governor will do it (sanction prosecution), despite the Cabinet's advice along with facts," Parameshwara said.
"He (the Governor) might have some powers, but I don't feel that he will reject the advice of the Cabinet so easily. In case he still goes ahead and gives permission for prosecution, we will fight legally," the Home Minister told reporters.
The BJP and JD(S) are on a week-long 'Mysuru Chalo' padayatre (foot march) since Saturday against the alleged fraudulent allotment of sites by MUDA to those who lost land to other development projects, including to Siddaramaiah's wife Parvathi, and are demanding his resignation.
The Congress would unitedly fight against the BJP and JD(S)'s attempts to "destabilise" the Siddaramaiah government, the party said on Sunday, backing its chief minister, who is on the opposition's radar.
Congress said this after its general secretary in-charge of organisation K C Venugopal held a meeting with state ministers, along with AICC general secretary in-charge of the state Randeep Singh Surjewala, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, and his deputy D K Shivakumar, who is also the party's Karnataka unit chief.
Venugopal said the ministers have been told to visit districts and assembly constituencies and explain to the people how the BJP was trying to "destabilise" the government and end the guarantee schemes.
According to party sources, Venugopal and Surjewala are said to have asked the ministers to strongly stand behind the CM and defend him, while also effectively countering the opposition.
Also, indicating the possible scenario where the government may have to legally fight the Governor if prosecution against the chief minister is sanctioned in connection with the MUDA "scam", they assured the high command's support, the sources added.
In the MUDA 'scam', it is alleged that compensatory sites were allotted to Siddaramaiah's wife Parvathi in an upmarket area in Mysuru, which had higher property value as compared to the location of her land which had been "acquired" by the MUDA.
The MUDA had allotted plots to Parvathi under a 50:50 ratio scheme in lieu of 3.16 acres of her land, where MUDA developed a residential layout.
Under the controversial scheme, MUDA allotted 50 per cent of developed land to the land losers in lieu of undeveloped land acquired from them for forming residential layouts.
BJP leaders have claimed that the MUDA "scam" is of the magnitude of Rs 4,000 crore to Rs 5,000 crore.
The Congress government on July 14 constituted a single member inquiry commission under former High Court Judge Justice P N Desai to probe the MUDA 'scam'.
Siddaramaiah along with Shivakumar last week had met Congress President M Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, K C Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala in New Delhi and held discussions.
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Constitution powerful tool to protect poorest section of society: Rahul Gandhi
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Tuesday urged citizens to protect the ethos of the Constitution and said the struggle to defend India's inherent philosophy must be reinvigorated and reignited in the 75th year of its adoption.
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said the Constitution is a powerful tool to protect the poorest and weakest sections of society, and the stronger it is, the stronger the country will be.
In a swipe at the BJP, the opposition party also asserted that at a time when those out to destroy the Constitution are showing insincere commitment towards it, "our duty to protect it and fight for its true values becomes all the more relevant".
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the people of India should come together to protect each and every thought expressed in the Constitution.
"The 75th year of the adoption of the Constitution has begun today. I extend my warmest wishes to all Indians on this historic occasion," the Congress president said in a post on X.
"The Constitution of India, painstakingly and carefully drafted by our foremothers and forefathers is the lifeblood of our nation. It guarantees us social, economic and political rights. It constitutes India into a sovereign socialist democratic republic," he said.
Justice, liberty, equality and fraternity are not just ideals or ideas, they are the way of life for 140 crore Indians, Kharge asserted.
"Today, we recall the tremendous contribution of the Constituent Assembly and its prolific members. We are forever indebted to their vision and wisdom," he said.
Kharge said Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Babasaheb Dr BR Ambedkar, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Dr Rajendra Prasad, KM Munshi, Sarojini Naidu, Alladi Krishnaswamy Ayyar, Rajkumari Amrit Kaur and several eminent personalities were not just revered national icons but inspiring personalities who became the torchbearers of hope for generations together.
No mention of the Constituent Assembly should be complete without recalling the contribution of the 15 women members who provided equally important inputs for an inclusive India, the Congress president said.
"We must also not forget that the Constituent Assembly received uncountable suggestions from ordinary citizens which are a matter of record," he said.
The Objectives Resolution moved by Nehru and Ambedkar's momentous last speech to the Constituent Assembly form the Magna Carta in protecting the tenets of the Constitution, he said.
"We, the patriotic citizens of India, now have the onerous task of protecting the ethos of the Constitution," Kharge said.
"We, the people of India, should, therefore, come together to protect each and every thought expressed in the Constitution," he said.
In the 75th year of the Constitution's adoption, the struggle to defend India's inherent philosophy must be reinvigorated and reignited, just like the era of the national movement, the Congress president said.
Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi said, "Heartiest greetings to all of you on Constitution Day. The basic spirit of our Constitution is that justice and rights should be equal for all. Everyone should get an opportunity to live with self-respect."
"The Constitution is a powerful tool to protect the poorest and weakest sections of society. The stronger it is, the stronger our country will be," he said.
"On this day, I salute the fighters, martyrs and every member of the Constituent Assembly who protected the idea of the Constitution and reiterate my resolve to protect it," Gandhi said.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said that freedom fighters and great people together created a Constitution that ensured freedom, equality, fraternity and justice for crores of Indians.
"Our Constitution is the protective shield of crores of Indians which gives them every kind of rights. Happy Constitution Day to all the people of the country," she said.
"Salute to the great ancestors, martyrs, revolutionaries and every member of the Constituent Assembly. This democracy and Constitution, obtained from their tireless hard work and sacrifices, is our pride. Come, let us pledge that we will protect it in every situation," Priyanka Gandhi said in her post in Hindi on X.
Congress general secretary in-charge organisation K C Venugopal said India marks an important landmark as it celebrates the 75th Constitution Day today, a day when Ambedkar's revolutionary text was adopted by the Constituent Assembly.
The Constitution of India is not merely a document, it is India's soul and history of millennia in motion, he said in a post on X.
"A living document that gives hope to 140 crore Indians, the Constitution is what keeps the ideals of justice, equality, inclusivity and democracy alive in India," Venugopal said.
"At a time when those out to destroy the Constitution are showing insincere commitment towards it, our duty to protect it and fight for its true values becomes all the more relevant," Venugopal said.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh recalled two books on the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of India by the Constituent Assembly.
Many books have been, and continue to be written on the making of the Constitution. But two have become evergreen classics, he said.
"Granville Austin's scholarly 'The Indian Constitution: Cornerstone of a Nation' first appeared in 1966. He had got unprecedented access to the private collections of a number of key personalities, especially Dr. Rajendra Prasad and K.M. Munshi. He had also interviewed many members of the Constituent Assembly," Ramesh said.
B Shiva Rao's magisterial four-volume "The Framing of the Indian Constitution" was published in 1968, he noted. It has a very poignant letter from Nehru to Shiva Rao on writing a foreword sent just three days before the then prime minister passed away, Ramesh recalled.
Incidentally, Shiva Rao's almost now-forgotten brother Benegal Narsing Rau was a pivotal player in the making of the Constitution, he said.
