MUDA Illegal Land Allotment Scam: The Karnataka High Court Defers Proceedings Till August 29

The Karnataka High Court today asked the trial court to differ all proceedings related to the case and direct it to not take any action based on the Governor's sanction against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Karnataka High Court directed the special court for people's representatives, slated to hear complaints against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the alleged Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment 'scam', to defer its proceedings till the next date of hearing on August 29. A bench of Justice Hemant Chandangoudar heard the writ petition filed by the chief minister on an urgent basis and posted the case on August 29 for further hearing. “Since the matter is being heard by this court and the pleadings are yet to get complete, till the next date of hearing, the concerned court shall defer its proceedings,” Justice Nagaprasanna said. Senior advocate and Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi and the Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta appeared on behalf of the Chief Minister and Governor, respectively.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has approached today the High Court under Articles 226 and 227 of the Constitution and sought legal assistance. Siddaramaiah filed writ petition in the state high court seeking cancellation of the Governor's permission for prosecution against him in connection with the case. He questioned the Governor's prosecution decision this morning. “My conscience is clear, I have done nothing wrong. I have been a minister for 40 years and there is not a single black spot in my political life during this period,” Siddaramaiah said. "No injunction has been granted," said Justice M Nagaprasanna, who heard a writ petition filed by the Chief Minister challenging the legality of the August 16 order of the Governor, who accorded sanction against him under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and Section 218 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi during the hearing, said that the Governor's permission for prosecution against the Chief Minister is illegal and unconstitutional. We have applied to the court requesting that this permission be revoked. Petitioner Siddaramaiah, in his petition, has said that the hearing of this application should be taken up and the order of sanction granted by the Governor of Karnataka is tainted, part of a concerted effort to destabilize the duly elected government in Karnataka for political reasons. 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.

It is important to mention that advocate Ravi Varmakumar appealed to the court this morning while submitting the application of CM Siddaramaiah. A single-member bench headed by High Court judge Hemant Chandangoudar heard the plea of Siddaramaiah's lawyer in the afternoon. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah questioned the permission of Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot to conduct an investigation against him regarding the initiation of another writ petition. Siddaramaiah's lawyer, submitted a memo before the special bench and requested an urgent hearing. Judge N. Nagaprasanna said that he would hear the petition if directed by the Chief Justice. In this petition, three social activists who have filed a private complaint against the Governor's Special Secretary, the state government and Siddharamaiah have been made respondents. 

Statewide Congress workers have protested against Governor Thawarchand Gehlot in the Muda case. Congress workers led by KPCC President DK Shivakumar held a protest at Freedom Park in Bangalore.AICC president Mallikarjuna Kharge expressed his impatience that there is no need to discuss repeatedly about the attempts to destabilize the state government. Speaking to the media in Bengaluru, he said that a statement was already made earlier. He said that there is no need to repeat the same, and when he was asked again whether the government had tried to depose Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, he did not answer.Massive Congress protests were held in many places including Bangalore, Mangalore, Udupi, Chikkamagaluru, Chitradurga, Mandya, Mysore, Koppala, Davangere, Shivamogga. The Chief Minister's home district, Mysore, called for a bandh. There was a mixed response. Separate protests were held in Narasipur and a bandh was held. Protestors raised slogans that the governor was anti-constitutional. Their portraits were torn and outraged. A protest was held by blocking the road in Chitradurga.

Minister Jameer Ahmed Khan said that the BJP is trying to destabilize the Congress government by misusing the Governor.Congress workers blocked the road in Shivamogga and expressed their anger. They shouted slogans of contempt for the Governor, who is a puppet of the Centre. MLA KM Shivalingegowda, MP Shreyas Patel and many others participated in the protest held in Hassan and expressed outrage that there is a conspiracy against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Congress workers have taken out a huge protest march in the coastal district of Udupi. Defiance and slogans were shouted against the Governor in the protest held on the main streets of the city. A protest march was also held in Mangalore and local leaders and representatives expressed their anger against the Governor. A complaint has been submitted to the President through the Collector. Meanwhile, miscreants pelted stones at the buses. They set fire to a tire in Kalaburagi and expressed their outrage. Roadblocks and satyagrahas were held in Bagalkot. The Congress workers, who have been holding a peaceful protest march and sit-in, have appealed to the President through the District Collector against the Governor. Also, there has been a flood of complaints through e-mail. The governor has acted like a political puppet and has given permission for illegal appointments. In this context, the Congress workers have demanded that the Governor should be dismissed. Congressmen have expressed outrage that the Raj Bhavan is being misused to destabilize the democratically elected government. Opposition BJP-JDS members staged a joint protest demanding that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah take moral responsibility and resign from his post in the wake of the Governor's permission to prosecute Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in connection with the Muda case.Near the statue of Mahatma Ganji in the center of Vidhana Soudha, BJP State President B.Y. Vijayendra, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R. Ashok, former Union Minister D. V. Sadananda Gowda, JDS Legislature Party leader Suresh Babu, Nikhil Kumaraswamy and MLAs of both parties and members of the Vidhan Parishad were involved in the protest.The protestors shouted slogans saying to the corrupt government, “Muda SCam, Valmiki scam, looting government should be put to an end.”