BENGALURU: After Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot gave permission to prosecute Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) case, Congress leaders have been critical of the Governor, with some even demanding his sacking.

Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre said the governor was behaving like a political agent of the BJP and the President must immediately remove him from office. Terming it a political conspiracy, Khandre said the BJP does not believe in the democratic system and is trying to destabilise the elected government of the state. “The governor must resign and take moral responsibility for his partisan act or the President must immediately remove him,” he said.

Industries Minister MB Patil said the BJP will have to regret this move. He criticised the governor as “nothing but a puppet of the central government” and alleged that the Raj Bhavan had become an office of the BJP. “When activist TJ Abraham lodged a complaint against the chief minister, the chief secretary provided all the necessary information to the Raj Bhavan. However, the governor hastily sent a notice to Siddaramaiah. There were already suspicions about his behaviour. This current move is unwelcome and the people of the state will not tolerate it,” Patil said.

Finance Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said the governor’s office had not followed due process. Congress leaders said there must be a preliminary investigation by a competent government agency before allowing prosecution, but that procedure was not followed in this case.

AICC General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala spoke of a political conspiracy hatched in the corridors of the Prime Minister’s Office and the Home Ministry in New Delhi against the elected government.