Union home minister P. Chidambaram on Saturday flayed the BJP for its stand on Karnataka governor H.R. Bhardwaj granting sanction to prosecute the chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa and said the governor’s decision was in accordance with the law.
In a statement issued here, Mr Chidambaram said, “It is not the first time that a governor has given his sanction to prosecute a CM or a minister of the state government. The law in this respect is clear and well-settled. The leading case in this behalf is MP Special Police Establishment vs state of Madhya Pradesh. That was a case in which the then governor of Madhya Pradesh, Bhai Mahavir, overruled the advice of the Cabinet and granted sanction to prosecute two ministers.” A five-judge bench of the SC upheld the order of the governor, he added.
Mr Chidambaram further said, “The Karnataka government is obliged to maintain law and order in the state, not to standby when law and order is disrupted by party cadres or there are acts of violence. I have requested the home secretary, government of India, to speak to the chief secretary and the director-general of police, Karnataka, in this regard.” “I would invite the BJP’s attention to the statement made by Justice (Retd.) Santosh Hegde, Lokayukta of Karnataka, who has observed that the governor had the jurisdiction to grant sanction for prosecution,” he said .
Taking a dig at the BJP, Mr Chidambaram said, “I am glad to note that the BJP no longer says that the alleged transgressions of law in Karnataka are “only immoral and not illegal”. Surely, the BJP knows the legal position. The BJP also knows that any person aggrieved by the order of the governor can seek legal remedies. Hence, it is my sincere hope that the BJP will advise its state unit to abide by the law and will advise the government of Karnataka to discharge its Constitutional obligation to maintain law and order,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Karnataka government assured the Centre that it was taking adequate steps to maintain law and order in the state. Union home secretary G.K. Pillai said he has spoken to chief secretary Ranganath S.V. and DGP Ajai Kumar Singh and both of them have assured him that they were well in control of the situation in Karnataka. He said, “They made adequate arrangements to ensure that law and order is completely under control”.
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Bandh called by BJP ends peacefully
Bengaluru, Jan. 22: Barring minor incidents of stone-pelting and arson, the day-long Karnataka bandh called by BJP to protest governor H.R. Bhardwaj giving sanction to prosecute chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa on allegations of corruption passed off peacefully today paralysing life in many parts of the state. Two state transport corporation buses were set ablaze on Friday night at Honnali in Davanagere district and at least about 70 vehicles, including some buses damaged in stone-pelting in parts of the state, ADGP (law & order) A.R. Infant said. —PTI