From Our Special Correspondent

Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Aug 18: A day after State Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot granted sanction for investigating the complaints against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the MUDA scam, the ruling Congress party has decided to hold State-wide protest rallies against the Raj Bhavan’s move on August 19.

Deputy Chief Minister and KPCC president D K Shivakumar on Sunday announced that the Congress party would take up state-wide protest rallies on August 19 against the Governor for issuing sanction against the chief minister on the three separate complaints submitted by social activist T J Abraham and two others.

Speaking to reporters at his Sadashivanagar residence, he said: “The protest rallies will be held in all district headquarters across the State. All the party leaders and workers will participate in the protest.”

CLP Meeting on Thursday

Meanwhile, the chief minister as leader of the Congress legislature party, has convened a meeting of the Legislature party at the conference hall of Vidhana Soudha on Thursday at 4 pm.

Shivakumar said the Governor is making a case out of nothing. “This is a murder of democracy and we will protest it. We have instructed our party leaders to carry out peaceful protests and ensure that anti-social elements don’t infiltrate the rallies and create trouble,” he said.

Replying to a question on his meeting AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, he said, “We briefed him about the developments in the State.”

When asked about holding nation-wide protests against Governor’s decision, he said the AICC would decide on that.
“We strongly condemn the misuse of the Governor to suit the political agenda of BJP to destabilise duly elected non-BJP governments in Delhi, Jarkhand, Punjab, Kerala, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu under Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” the
deputy chief minister said.

To a question on fixing of new crest gates for Tungabhadra dam, he said, “The crest gate has been successfully installed.”
“JD(S) leader and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy, BJP State President B Y Vijayendra, former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai, BJP leader Govind Karjol and other opposition leaders had criticised us for the breakdown of the gate. Criticisms
die but good work lives on. I would like to thank everyone involved in fixing the crest gate,” he added.