Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Tuesday announced that the Congress state unit would organise a 'Raj Bhavan Chalo' march to seek prosecution of Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy in an alleged mining lease case. DCM said, "The Rajbhavan Chalo will start from the Gandhi statue near Vidhana Soudha at 10 am and reach Raj Bhavan. The Chief Minister, all ministers, Congress MLAs, MLCs and MPs will be part of the rally. We will submit an appeal to the governor at the end of the rally," he added.
He announced the march while addressing a press conference at the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee office in Bengaluru. Shivkumar said, "There are pending appeals before the Governor seeking permission to prosecute Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy, former minister Murugesh Nirani, Janardhan Reddy and Shashikala Jolle. We are organising a Raj Bhavan Chalo march seeking sanction against these leaders."
The announcement came after BJP's recent padayatra demanding the CM Siddaramaiah's resignation MUDA scam controversy, following the permission of Governor Thawarchand Gehlot to prosecute him. Shivkumar said that BJP is employing various strategies to corner the Governor after he granted permission to prosecute the CM in the case. "The appeal of Lokayukta seeking permission to prosecute our 'Honest Big Brother' Kumaraswamy in a mining case has been pending with the Governor for some time. The Lokayukta has sought permission to prosecute him after a detailed investigation over 10 years, yet the Governor is yet to give sanction," he said.
Shivakaumar questions Governor's stand
Furthermore, Shivakumar added, "The Governor has not given sanction, though some BJP-JDS leaders have charge sheeted, but the sanction has been given against the Chief Minister even without preliminary investigation. We have brought to the attention of the Governor that many appeals for sanction from Lokayukta and SITs are pending with him."
Shedding light on the case against Kumaraswamy, DCM said that Lokayukta SIT wrote a letter dated to the Governor in November 2023, detailing the sections under which Kumaraswamy was charge-sheeted with illegal allotting of an iron ore mine. Accordingly, SIT appealed for a sanction to prosecute him, which was not given.
Shivakumar slams Kumaraswamy over claim of fake signature
Speaking on Kumaraswamy's claim of his signature being forged by someone for approval of mining license, he said, "I have heard Kumaraswamy saying that the signature approving the mining license was not his. This investigation has been going on for 10 years. If the signature has been forged, why has he not filed a complaint yet?"
"Kumaraswamy had even applied for bail in the case. In the affidavit, Kumaraswamy admits that he had approved a mining licence for Sri Sai Venkatesh Minerals. The FIR in the case was registered in 2011 itself. If it was not his signature, why would he apply for bail in the case?" he questioned.
'Will investigate if Kumaraswamy lodges complaint': DCM Shivakumar
On the question of whether the government will investigate the case, Shivakaumar said that let Kumaraswamy complain. "Let him lodge a complaint first; we will investigate it then. I don't know why he is delaying complaining; he can even file an online complaint. The 'innocent' Kumaraswamy has to lodge a complaint on forged signatures the same way his government lodged a complaint against Yediyurappa in 2011."
(With ANI Inputs)
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