Bengaluru (PTI): The ruling Congress in Karnataka on Monday held a state-wide protest against the Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot giving sanction for investigation against the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in connection with irregularities in the allotment of alternative sites by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority.

Taking to the streets, Congress leaders and workers staged dharnas, foot-marches and rallies in district headquarters, holding placards denouncing the action and raising slogans against the Governor.

“The Governor is making a case out of nothing. This is a murder of democracy and we will protest it," Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress chief, said on Sunday.

Demonstrations were held in various parts of the state including Bengaluru, Udupi, Mangaluru, Hubballi-Dharwad, Vijayapura, Kalaburagi, Raichur, Tumakuru and Mysuru.

The Chief Minister has said: "There is no case against me, and the Governor's decision is unconstitutional."

Siddaramaiah alleged that the Governor has become a puppet in the hands of the Central Government, and granting sanction against him is nothing but a sinister conspiracy to destabilise an elected government.

"A grand conspiracy has been hatched to undermine our government. The BJP and JD(S) leaders in the state are all part of this scheme. Just as they did in Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, and Delhi, they are now attempting to execute their plans in Karnataka," he has said.

Get all the latest, breaking news from Karnataka in a single click. CLICK HERE to get all the latest news from Karnataka.

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



Hyderabad: The Andhra Pradesh Police are actively searching for film director Ram Gopal Varma after he failed to appear for questioning in connection with a case filed against him for allegedly posting offensive and morphed images of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, and their family members on social media.

The case was registered at Maddipadu Police Station in Prakasam district on November 11, with the complainant Ramalingam alleging that Varma's posts undermined the reputation of the leaders and caused personal harm.

Three police teams—two in Hyderabad and one in Tamil Nadu—have been deployed to locate Varma. One team is currently in Chennai, another is at his residence in Hyderabad, and the third is searching in Film Nagar. Police officials reported that Varma’s phone is switched off, complicating their efforts.

According to Prakasam District Superintendent of Police (SP) A.R. Damodar, Varma had been issued two notices and was given until November 24 to cooperate with the investigation. However, he failed to appear, leading to intensified search efforts.

Varma’s lawyer has argued that physical presence is not required and has requested that the investigation proceed in a virtual format under provisions of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). The lawyer stated that Varma had communicated his willingness to cooperate digitally but alleged that police had not responded to his requests.

SP Damodar criticised the director's approach, stating, "Without appearing for the investigation, how can Varma suggest a virtual probe?" He confirmed that police are pursuing all legal avenues to ensure compliance.

Varma, who had earlier requested additional time due to prior commitments, was summoned for investigation on November 25 but failed to attend. Police have stated that further legal action will follow if he continues to remain uncooperative.