Bengaluru:

Karnataka Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot’s move to authorise the prosecution of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, will have dire consequences, a Congress leader has warned. But the statement of Ivan Dsouza has turned controversial, with him drawing a parallel with Bangladesh’s deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. 

“If the Central Government does not recall the Governor in connection with the MUDA scam, the Governor may have to face a situation similar to that of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh. And the Governor may have to run away,” Mr D’Souza said in Mangaluru at a protest organised by the party against the Governor.

Mr Siddaramaiah has appealed to the High Court challenging the Governor’s move.  He called it “illegal and without authority of law”, and claimed that prosecution at this point could irreparably harm his reputation. 

More importantly, it could “disrupt governance… and potentially result in political destabilisation,” he has argued.

The court has granted him some relief, ordering that no action be taken against him before it hears the case on August 29.

“Since the matter is heard by this court and pleadings are to be completed… till the next date of hearing the concerned court (the trial court) should defer its proceedings…” the High Court said.

The alleged scam is linked to irregularities in land allocation by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA). It has been alleged that the allocation of compensatory land parcels to BM Parvathi, Siddaramaiah’s wife, during his previous term as the chief minister of Karnataka, far exceeds the value of the land given in exchange. 

Activists have alleged that the 14 premium sites in Mysuru allotted to Siddaramaiah’s wife as compensation for acquired land was illegal and led to a loss of Rs 45 crore to the exchequer.