Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar Announces ‘Raj Bhavan Chalo’ March Against Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], August 28: In response to the BJP’s recent padayatra demanding the Chief Minister’s resignation over a land allotment controversy, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar announced that the Congress party would organize a ‘Raj Bhavan Chalo’ march. This march aims to seek prosecution of Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy in a mining lease case.

During a press conference at the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee office, DK Shivakumar stated, “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 organizing a Raj Bhavan Chalo march seeking sanction against these leaders.”

The Congress party has planned this event to pressure Governor Thawarchand Gehlot, who recently granted permission to prosecute the Chief Minister in a separate case. DK Shivakumar emphasized that the Lokayukta’s appeal to prosecute Kumaraswamy in a mining case has been pending with the Governor for a long time, despite a detailed investigation over 10 years.

The ‘Raj Bhavan Chalo’ march will start from the Gandhi statue near Vidhana Soudha at 10 am and proceed to Raj Bhavan. The Chief Minister, all ministers, Congress MLAs, MLCs, and MPs will participate in the rally, culminating in an appeal submission to the Governor.

DK Shivakumar criticized the Governor for not granting sanction against BJP-JDS leaders while quickly sanctioning prosecution against the Chief Minister without a preliminary investigation. He highlighted that many appeals for sanction from Lokayukta and SITs are pending with the Governor.

He also mentioned that the Lokayukta SIT wrote a letter to the Governor detailing the charges against Kumaraswamy for illegally allotting an iron ore mine. Despite a detailed inquiry over 10 years, no sanction has been given.

Regarding former minister Shashikala Jolle, the Lokayukta sought sanction under Article 17a. Sanctions have also been sought against former minister Murugesh Nirani and Janardhan Reddy after preliminary investigations.

Addressing Kumaraswamy’s claim of a fake signature on the mining license approval, DK Shivakumar questioned why Kumaraswamy has not filed a complaint if the signature was indeed forged. He pointed out that Kumaraswamy had applied for bail in the case, admitting in an affidavit that he approved a mining license for Sri Sai Venkatesh Minerals.

DK Shivakumar urged Kumaraswamy to lodge a complaint if his signature was forged, similar to how his government lodged a complaint against Yediyurappa in 2011.

On the issue of land sanctioning to Jindal and Kharge’s Trust, DK Shivakumar stated that all government decisions must be open to public scrutiny. He mentioned that the Industries Minister has already issued a statement regarding this and that he would comment further after studying the matter.

The press meeting was attended by KPCC Working President GC Chandrashekar, spokespersons M Lakshman, and Women’s Wing President Sowmya Reddy, among others.

Karnataka -: Karnataka is a state in the southern part of India. It has a rich history and is known for its diverse culture and languages.

Deputy CM -: Deputy CM stands for Deputy Chief Minister. This person is the second-highest-ranking official in the state government, just below the Chief Minister.

DK Shivakumar -: DK Shivakumar is a politician from Karnataka and a member of the Congress party. He is currently serving as the Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka.

Raj Bhavan Chalo -: ‘Raj Bhavan Chalo’ is a phrase in Hindi that means ‘Let’s go to Raj Bhavan.’ Raj Bhavan is the official residence of the Governor of a state in India.

Union Minister -: A Union Minister is a member of the central government of India who is in charge of a specific department or ministry.

HD Kumaraswamy -: HD Kumaraswamy is a politician from Karnataka. He is a member of the Janata Dal (Secular) party and has served as the Chief Minister of Karnataka in the past.

mining lease case -: A mining lease case involves legal issues related to the permission given to mine minerals from the land. It can include disputes over the legality of the lease or environmental concerns.

Congress party -: The Congress party is one of the major political parties in India. It has a long history and has been in power at both the central and state levels many times.

Governor Thawarchand Gehlot -: Thawarchand Gehlot is the current Governor of Karnataka. The Governor is the representative of the President of India in the state.

sanction -: In this context, ‘sanction’ means official permission or approval. The Governor needs to give permission for legal action to be taken against certain officials.

Gandhi statue near Vidhana Soudha -: The Gandhi statue near Vidhana Soudha is a famous landmark in Bengaluru, Karnataka. Vidhana Soudha is the seat of the state legislature of Karnataka.

BJP-JDS -: BJP stands for Bharatiya Janata Party, and JDS stands for Janata Dal (Secular). Both are political parties in India. BJP is a national party, while JDS is more prominent in Karnataka.