Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah ruled out any possibility of resignation, asserting that he would fight the allegations legally, just hours after Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot approved his prosecution in the MUDA site scam.

He emphasised that the Congress high command and the Cabinet stood firmly by him.

Speaking to the media persons in Bengaluru last evening, Siddaramaiah stated, “There is no question of resignation. I will fight this legally in Court. The Governor’s decision is unconstitutional; he has no authority or jurisdiction, and we will challenge it.”

“It’s a conspiracy against the Congress Government. The BJP and JD(S), along with the Central Government, have colluded in this,” he declared.

He described the situation as  part of a larger plot to destabilise the elected Government of Karnataka, similar to conspiracies in Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and New Delhi. “There’s no case against me, and the Governor’s decision to allow prosecution is unconstitutional,” he reiterated.

“They cannot tolerate my leadership or this Government because we have implemented all the Guarantee Schemes, which benefit the poor across all communities and religions,” he claimed, accusing the BJP of being against social justice and the welfare of the poor.

He criticised the Governor’s swift action, issuing a show-cause notice on the same day the complaint was filed against him.

“This move was anticipated. The Governor is being used as a political weapon, and there’s no question of my resignation,” he said.

Questions urgency

Siddaramaiah questioned the urgency in his case while no action was taken against Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy in a similar situation. He highlighted that Lokayukta’s petition against Kumaraswamy, submitted to the Governor’s office on Nov. 23, 2011, is yet to receive sanction.

“In my case, it’s a petition from an individual, while the Lokayukta’s petition against Kumaraswamy involves serious allegations of illegal mining permissions. No investigation was conducted in MUDA case, and there’s no evidence of my involvement,” Siddaramaiah stressed.

He further accused the Governor of acting on behalf of BJP, JD(S) leaders like H.D. Kumaraswamy, Karnataka BJP President B.Y. Vijayendra and Opposition Leader R. Ashoka. While the petitions against former BJP Ministers Shashikala Jolle and Murugesh Nirani, are still pending with the Governor’s office.