In his first statement after the court ruling, an unfazed Siddaramaiah said he would not hesitate to investigate and would consult with experts on whether such a probe is allowed under law or not. In a setback to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the Karnataka High Court on Tuesday dismissed his petition challenging the Governor's approval for an investigation against him in a site allotment case. The Chief Minister had challenged the approval given by the Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot for an investigation against him in the alleged irregularities in the allotment of 14 sites to his wife by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) in a prime locality.
The CM in his first statement said, "I will not hesitate to investigate. I will consult with experts on whether such an investigation is allowed under law or not. I will discuss with the legal experts and decide on the outline of the fight...I am confident that the truth will come out in the next few days and the investigation under 17A will be cancelled. The people of the state are standing behind me in this political struggle. Their blessings are my protection. I believe in law and the constitution. Truth will finally win in this fight. This is a fight against the revenge politics of the Narendra Modi-led BJP government. Our judicial struggle against this revenge politics of BJP and JDS will continue. I have faith in the court. All the MLAs, leaders and workers of our party and the Congress High Command have stood by me and encouraged me to continue the fight for the law. BJP and JD(S) have resorted to political retaliation against me because I am pro-poor and fighting for social justice."
"The MUDA case is just a sham. The main objective of BJP and JD(S) is to stop our government's schemes which favor the poor and the oppressed...The leaders who are asking for my resignation are the same ones who have opposed the schemes implemented by me for the poor and oppressed of the state. These same BJP and JD(S) leaders have opposed the Annabhagya, Ksheera Bhagya, Ksheera Dhare, Vidyasiri, Krishibhagya, Pashubhagya, Indira Canteen schemes implemented when I was the first Chief Minister. The leaders who are plotting against me today have opposed the SCSP/TSP Act. The people of Karnataka have not given BJP enough majority to come to power on its own. So far, BJP has come to power by conducting Operation Kamala."
"I am not going to be afraid of the conspiracy of BJP and the JDS, I am not going to bow down to their conspiracy and the misuse of the Raj Bhavan. The reason for this is that the people of the state, all the leaders of the state Congress and the party high command are standing with me," he said.
On August 19, Siddaramaiah moved the High Court challenging the legality of the Governor's order. In the petition, the Chief Minister submitted that the sanction order was issued without due application of mind, in violation of statutory mandates, and contrary to Constitutional principles, including the advice of the Council of Ministers, which is binding under Article 163 of the Constitution of India. Siddaramaiah sought quashing of the Governor's order contending that his decision is legally unsustainable, procedurally flawed, and motivated by extraneous considerations.
