Bengaluru, 31 July

Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot has sought a "response" from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to allegations relating to the distribution of sites by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority, including to his wife Parvathi, sources in the Congress government said on Wednesday.

The move comes after a delegation of BJP legislators met the Governor on 25 July and submitted to him a memorandum seeking transfer of the MUDA case to CBI for a probe and resignation of the Chief Minister.

Referring to the Governor's action, Home Minister G Parameshwara said there is reason to believe that it was politically motivated.  “The Governor has moved further to issue a show cause notice,” he added.

Information Technology and Biotechnology Minister Priyank Kharge alleged that the Governor is being "misused" by BJP.

"You have seen Governors in Tamil Nadu, earlier in Maharashtra and West Bengal. In some places these Governors are misusing their Constitutional position. Even the Supreme Court has made its observations," Kharge told reporters.

According to him, there are no instances of the Governor immediately asking for a reply soon after a memorandum is submitted. "During the Ballari mining scam there were strong evidences for the Governor to act but in MUDA case there is nothing," he said. -PTI