MUDA scam: K'taka govt convenes emergency Cabinet meeting as Guv okays probe against CM

Bengaluru, Aug 17 (IANS) The Karnataka government on Saturday convened an emergency Cabinet meeting against the backdrop of the Governor's decision to accord sanction to open a probe against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in connection with the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land scam.

The Cabinet unanimously condemned Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot's decision.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that Governor had not followed mandatory procedures while giving the sanction.

Addressing a press conference at the Vidhana Soudha on Saturday after the emergency Cabinet meeting, Siddaramaiah said: "The entire Cabinet unanimously expressed solidarity and party legislators, ministers, party workers have also expressed solidarity. The cabinet has maintained that the decision to give prosecution by the Governor is illegal, unconstitutional and not legal.

"Firstly, the Cabinet condemns the decision which has no backing of the law and the Constitutional authority. Secondly, the Governor is the representative of the President of India. He should be acting as the representative of the Constitution, and he should not be a representative of the Centre and the BJP.

"Secondly, in this case, he did not act legally and worked as the representative of the Central government and the Cabinet had vehemently condemned the decision. Thirdly, the Central government is unnecessarily using the Governor to destabilise the government which has the blessings of the people. The Governor has become a puppet in their hands," CM Siddaramaiah said in the presence of Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar and other Cabinet colleagues.

This would endanger the fundamental principles of democracy and the federal system. The act of the Governor is against democracy, he asserted.

"I will pursue a legal battle against the illegal sanction. It is a decision with total political malice. It is impossible to tarnish my image. That attempt will never be successful. I have the blessings of the people of the land. It is their illusion that they can weaken the government," CM Siddaramaiah.

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