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No exchange with guv without nod, says K’taka cabinet
Karnataka cabinet mandates governor correspondence only with prior consent, amid pressure on CM Siddaramaiah to resign over a Lokayukta probe.
Karnataka cabinet on Thursday directed state’s chief secretary and other secretaries that any correspondence from the government to Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, as sought by the latter, should be sent only after its consent.
The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Siddaramaiah.
“The governor is repeatedly writing letters (to govt), in what seems to be a behaviour of impatience, seeking information with an instruction that they be sent immediately. After verifying all the rules, the cabinet has directed the chief secretary and secretaries to place it before the cabinet and to proceed further as per the decision of the cabinet, while sending any information to the governor,” state’s law and parliamentary affairs minister HK Patil told reporters.
Citing the governor’s recent letter to the government, wanting to know how certain “confidential material” between Raj Bhavan and Lokayukta was leaked, Patil said: “Where were those papers and how they were leaked, it is for the governor now to give permission for probe and pinpoint who are the people concerned in the Raj Bhavan itself.”
Gehlot had written to chief secretary Shalini Rajneesh on August 28, asking how the government came to know about the “confidential material” relating to Lokayukta’s request to him seeking prosecution sanction against some opposition leaders.
Patil alleged that the concerned documents were at the Raj Bhavan for months in violation of law, but the blame was put on the government.
The cabinet decision comes at a time when the state government is facing the heat following a special court in Bengaluru ordering a probe by the Lokayukta police against Siddaramaiah in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (Muda) site allotment case.
Though Siddaramaiah on Thursday asserted he would not resign from the post, Karnataka Congress disciplinary committee president KB Koliwad said the chief minister should step down and face investigation to avoid embarrassment to the party.
“I appeal to him personally. He has no allegations, has delivered pro-people programmes and has the support of 136 MLAs. Siddaramaiah should resign at this stage and help the party as the Congress would face embarrassment in the forthcoming elections,” Koliwad, a former assembly speaker, told reporters. “Siddaramaiah will come out clean in this case and he will become the CM yet again. Hence, he should not cause embarrassment to the party and resign.”
When reminded that Siddaramaiah declared he won’t resign, Koliwad reiterated that Siddaramaiah “should resign” and face the probe.
Meanwhile, deputy CM and state Congress chief DK Shivakumar on Thursday said no party leader has staked a claim to the CM’s post in the backdrop of Siddaramaiah facing a Lokayukta probe in the Muda case.
Mounting pressure on the Congress, Opposition BJP said even the leaders of the ruling party were asking for Siddaramaiah’s resignation.
“CM Siddaramaiah’s actions are not only embarrassing for the Congress but for the entire state of Karnataka. Senior leaders of his party, including former speaker KB Koliwad, have opined that Siddaramaiah should resign, as his actions have caused embarrassment to the party. Neither AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge nor KPCC president DK Shivakumar seem to have the courage to ask for his resignation,” leader of the Opposition in the assembly, R Ashoka told reporters on Thursday evening.
(With PTI inputs)
