BENGALURU: Karnataka cabinet, led by CM Siddaramaiah, advised governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot on Thursday to act swiftly on the pending prosecution against Union minister for heavy industry and steel HD Kumaraswamy. It also advised the governor to approve prosecution against MLAs Shashikala Jolle, G Janardhan Reddy, and former minister Murugesh Nirani.
“The Cabinet decided to advise governor under Article 163 (of the Constitution) to immediately act on pending cases,” state law and parliamentary affairs minister HK Patil said after the meeting.
Patil emphasised that the cabinet’s recommendation was “not vendetta politics” but a response to public demand for accountability. He explained that the cabinet’s role is to aid and advise the governor, reinforcing the constitutional basis of their recommendation. This clarification follows allegations of political retaliation following governor’s recent sanction to prosecute Siddaramaiah in connection with the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land allotment scam. Sanction to proceed against Siddaramaiah was granted on Aug 17 and is currently being challenged in HC, with the next hearing scheduled for Aug 29.