BENGALURU: Congress’ tallest backward class leader Siddaramaiah has become the second chief minister in Karnataka’s history to face prosecution while in office. The first was BJP’s B S Yediyurappa whose prosecution was sanctioned in 2011. Siddaramaiah, who was in the opposition then, had vociferously demanded Yediyurappa’s resignation.
Now, Siddaramaiah faces similar charges amid growing demand for his resignation. Yediyurappa’s prosecution was approved on Dec 12, 2010 by then governor H R Bhardwaj. It led to widespread protests by the BJP. K S Eshwarappa, party president in Karnataka, had also called a state-wide bandh. Congress and JD(S) had supported the sanction.
But despite pressure, Yediyurappa did not resigned immediately. He held a cabinet meet to condemn the governor’s decision and engaged in a protracted legal battle. He resigned after months of political pressure and following an indictment by then Lokayukta Santosh Hegde in an illegal mining scandal. In 2016, Yediyurappa got clean chit in the case.
Talking of the sanction against Siddaramaiah, political analyst Viswas Shetty said,”It’s certainly not a good development for the state. Already, Karnataka is seen as one of the most corrupt among the southern states. This new development could harm its image and affect investments.”Similar scenarios have unfolded in other states where prosecution sanctions were granted against CMs. Notable examples include J Jayalalithaa in Tamil Nadu, A R Antulay in Maharashtra, and Lalu Prasad Yadav in Bihar. All of them resigned following the sanction to prosecute them.
