Pressure from Within Congress on Siddaramaiah to Quit, Cabinet Withdraws General Consent to CBI

Manas Dasgupta

NEW DELHI, Sept 26: Besides from outside, the Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah is now getting pressure from within the Congress party to quit pending the investigation into the alleged MUDA scam even as the state government on Thursday withdrew the general consent to the Central Bureau of Investigation to probe any case within the state jurisdiction.

The Karnataka cabinet also passed an order directing the state’s Chief Secretary, Shalini Rajneesh, and other officials not to provide any information requested by Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot without cabinet approval.

Announcing the state government’s decision withdrawing consent for the CBI, the state law minister HK Patil sought to delink the move with the MUDA investigation and said the state only wished to flag the “biased” actions of CBI which act at the orders of the BJP only to target the leaders of the non-BJP parties, particularly before elections.

“We are withdrawing open consent for CBI investigation in the state. We are expressing our concerns about the misuse of the agency. They are biased… that is why are taking this decision.” “This is not because of MUDA (land scam)…” Mr Patil said at a press briefing, emphasising, “Whole Cabinet expresses solidarity with Chief Minister… we have encouraged him to fight back.”

However, the first voice of dissent from within the Congress legislature party came from Mr KB Koliwad, 79, a five-time MLA and former Assembly Speaker. Mr Koliwad suggested that the Chief Minister step down to avoid any further embarrassment to the party. “He can be Chief Minister again after he clears this blemish… this is my personal request,” the veteran Congress leader said.

“… this is what I think. There are two judgements… one by the High Court and other by the People’s Court. Under such circumstances, this situation is being utilised by the opposition parties. Yesterday itself Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) spoke in Haryana,” he said. “So, to avoid this I request Chief Minister to resign. After he clears this blemish he can return… after all, he is supported by all MLAs and Congress high command,” Mr Koliwad reasoned.

Significantly, Mr Koliwad is also President of the Congress’ state Disciplinary Committee. Equally significantly, he has criticised the Chief Minister in the past; in 2018, when Siddaramaiah was the outgoing Speaker, Mr Koliwad said he “is not a true Congressman” and claimed the party had “suffered because of his arrogant behaviour… he thinks he is the boss…”

Siddaramaiah faces strident calls to resign from the BJP and its ally, the Janata Dal Secular (which was earlier allied with the Congress). Union Ministers Pralhad Joshi and senior BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar, as well as the party’s state boss, BY Vijayendra, have demanded Siddaramaiah resign. Party workers have held protests.

Most importantly, the Prime Minister has also attacked the Congress. At a rally in poll-bound Haryana on Thursday, Mr Modi referred to the “condition of Karnataka” accused the rival party of corruption.

With the withdrawal of the open consent, the Karnataka joined the list of the opposition-ruled states who have stopped the CBI to investigate any case within the states without the written consent of the state government. Among the recent states to withdraw the general consent were the Trinamool Congress-ruled West Bengal, the DMK-ruled Tamil Nadu, and left-controlled Kerala.

Revocation of open consent means the CBI – as listed in the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, which governs the agency – requires state governments’ written consent for investigations. This has been a major flashpoint between opposition states and the BJP-led centre, as the former has claimed the BJP uses agencies, like the CBI, to target its leaders, specially before elections.

In December the centre responded sharply to states’ actions, insisting requiring the CBI to ask for permission had severely limited its powers to investigate cases. A Parliamentary panel said there was a need to enact a law so the agency could probe cases without state “interference.” At the same time, the panel also acknowledged there need to be safeguards to ensure objectivity and impartiality in functioning of the CBI so states don’t complain of discrimination.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah faces a police case, as ordered Wednesday by a trial court, in connection with the alleged Mysuru Urban Development Authority land scam. This comes after the High Court quashed his challenge to Governor Gehlot’s prosecution order.

“In all cases we have referred to the CBI, they have not filed chargesheets… leaving many cases pending. They also refused to investigate cases we sent. There are numerous such instances.” Mr Patil said this was meant to “control them (the CBI) from taking the wrong path.”

He will now face an inquiry into claims his wife, Parvathi, was allotted multiple plots of land in an upmarket Mysuru area as compensation for land elsewhere – an exchange that allegedly cost the state losses of at least ₹ 4,000 crore – taken for infrastructure projects.

Following the two courts’ orders this week, the BJP and its ally, the Janata Dal Secular, have upped attacks on the Congress and its Chief Minister, demanding he resign on moral grounds.

The Chief Minister has refused to stand down, and has firmly denied the charge; last month he said he had not done anything illegal in a career spanning four decades, and said he would be absolved.

He has been backed by the Congress and his deputy, DK Shivakumar, who is also the state unit boss, and also by members of his cabinet, including IT Minister Priyank Kharge. However, there are some within the Congress – including former Assembly Speaker KB Koliwad – who also want him to quit.

The Congress has also backed Siddaramaiah. “Many leaders from the JDS and BJP (also) got it (i.e., they were also allotted land). “All this happened during the BJP rule… Chief Minister will explore other possibilities. It is not the end of the road,” national spokesperson Shama Mohamed had said laughing off BJP leaders’ celebrations.