Despite facing an unfavorable ruling from the Karnataka High Court regarding the Governor’s approval to sanction prosecution against him, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has received strong support from his cabinet colleagues, who see no reason for him to resign.
Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar stated on Tuesday that there is “no question of resignation,” asserting that this is merely a “political conspiracy” orchestrated by the BJP. He emphasized, “The Chief Minister has not done anything wrong and is not involved in any scam. This is an attempt by the BJP to create problems for us and other opposition leaders across the country. We stand by him and support his good work for the country, party, and state.”
Shivakumar further dismissed the court’s judgment as a setback, calling it part of a larger conspiracy against Congress leaders, including himself. He expressed confidence in the legal system, stating, “Injustice will not flow from the seat of justice. We will get justice.”
In response to the verdict, Karnataka Congress vowed to continue its fight against what it perceives as “injustice.” The party accused Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot of attempting to cover up complaints against Kumaraswamy and other BJP leaders. “The fight against injustice will persist; we will not yield to the Governor’s attempts to destabilize the government or the BJP’s conspiracy,” the state Congress unit stated on X.
On the other hand, the BJP is pushing for Siddaramaiah’s immediate resignation. Karnataka BJP president BY Vijayendra remarked, “We have been relentless in our fight against the corrupt Congress government. The High Court’s dismissal of the Chief Minister’s petition shows that all are equal before the law. Therefore, I demand CM Siddaramaiah to resign.”
The Karnataka High Court recently dismissed Siddaramaiah’s petition challenging the Governor’s sanction for an investigation into alleged irregularities by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) related to site allocations to his wife. Justice Nagaprasanna noted that the Governor’s order for prosecution did not indicate a lack of careful consideration.
Allegations claim that MUDA illegally allocated 14 prime sites in Mysuru to Siddaramaiah’s wife. The court previously granted temporary relief to the Chief Minister, directing a special court in Bengaluru to defer further proceedings following the Governor’s sanction. On August 31, the Karnataka Governor’s office confirmed to the High Court that the sanction for prosecuting Siddaramaiah was granted after careful consideration.