'I have done no wrong to resign': Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Guv's sanction to prosecute him
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday ruled out his resignation, following the Governor granting sanction to prosecute him, in connection with the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment 'scam', and said he had done no wrong to step down.
Terming Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot's decision as "anti-Constitution and against law", he said. It will be questioned in court and that he will battle it out legally.
"It is a big conspiracy to dislodge the elected government. They (BJP) have done this in several states including Delhi, Jharkhand. A conspiracy has been designed to destabilise the elected government in Karnataka also. The Central government, BJP, JD(S) and others are involved in this conspiracy," Siddaramaiah told reporters here.
"High command (of Congress) is with me, the entire Cabinet and the government is with me. All Congress MLAs, MLCs, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members are with me....I have done no wrong to resign," he asserted.
ALSO READ: BJP seeks Siddaramaiah's resignation for impartial probe against him in MUDA 'scam'
Accusing the opposition of wrong doings and behaving illegally and anti-Constitutionally, he further said, "They are using Raj Bhavan as a political pawn. The Governor is functioning like a puppet in the hands of the Central government."
The Governor has accorded sanction against the Chief Minister under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and Section 218 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 for the commission of the alleged offences as mentioned in the petitions of Pradeep Kumar S P, T J Abraham and Snehamayi Krishna.
Stating that such a decision by the Governor was expected, Siddaramaiah said, "We had expected this, I too had expected this. When the Governor on July 26, the very day he received the petition, issued me a show cause notice. What does it mean?"
He said, "There has been a petition seeking sanction for prosecution against JD(S) leader (now Union Minister) H D Kumaraswamy since November, also there are petitions against former BJP Ministers Shahshikala Jolle, Murugesh Nirani, and Janardhana Reddy. Leaving all of them, if the notice was issued to me, what does it mean?"
"In November, sanction was sought against Kumaraswamy (also former CM) by Lokayukta in an alleged case regarding issue of mining licences, after an inquiry. He was not issued a notice. What does it mean -- that the notice is issued to me (by the Governor)? It is a big conspiracy," he added.
Based on a petition filed by advocate-activist T J Abraham, Governor Gehlot 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 had on August 1 "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. It had also advised him to reject the said application by denying prior approval and sanction as requested by the petitioner Abraham.
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Flip-flop on COP: Cong's dig at govt on withdrawing bid to host COP33
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Thursday attacked the Centre over India withdrawing its bid to host the COP33 climate summit in 2028, and said it reflects the Modi government's true commitment to the 2015 Paris Agreement both in letter and spirit.
The opposition party said the decision also calls into question the government's true commitment to take on more ambitious carbon mitigation goals in the short and medium term.
Congress general secretary and former environment minister Jairam Ramesh recalled that on December 1, 2023, the prime minister had announced grandly in Dubai that India would be hosting the annual UN Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP) in India in late 2028.
"Clearly the intention was to milk the global gathering for whatever it is worth in the months before the 2029 Lok Sabha elections like Mr. Modi did by having the G20 Summit in New Delhi a few months before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls," Ramesh said on X.
"Unexpectedly last night, it was announced that India will not be hosting the high-profile 2028 Conference. No reasons have been given for this sudden decision. But it does reflect on the Modi Govt's true commitment to the 2015 Paris Agreement both in letter and spirit," the Congress general in-charge communications said.
It also calls into question the Modi government's true commitment to take on more ambitious carbon mitigation goals in the short and medium term, Ramesh said.
By 2028, the seventh assessment report of the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) may get published and this could put greater pressure on India as the Chair of the 2028 Conference to forge a new consensus that would undoubtedly involve a scaling up of ambitions not just for a distant future, he said.
"Incidentally, do we recall what the PM had told a group of children some years ago on his view of climate change? He had remarked that 'people have changed, climate has not.' Bizarre!" Ramesh said.
He slammed the government's "flip-flop" on hosting the conference.
Ramesh had on Wednesday night said that he was "surprised" at the development.
"I am very surprised. It was high on the PM's agenda especially since 2029 will be the year of Lok Sabha polls. So atmospherics could have (been) created," he had said.
India has withdrawn its offer to host the United Nations annual climate Conference Of the Parties (COP33) in 2028, according to sources.
During his address at COP28 in Dubai in 2023, Prime Minister Modi had proposed India as the host country for COP33. Usually, the venue for a COP edition is decided two years in advance.
Sources confirmed that the decision was officially communicated to the authorities concerned earlier this week that India is withdrawing its bid to host COP 33. They, however, did not state any specific reason behind the government's decision.
