Yeddyurappa, in a letter to the Governor late in the evening, said: “It is unfortunate that being the Constitutional head of the State, a copy of the order passed was not handed over to me and the information on such an order was divulged to the media.”

Soon after learning about the Governor’s order, a senior officer of the Chief Minister’s office was sent to Raj Bhavan to collect an order copy. But the Governor’s office refused to give a copy, the Chief Minister said in the letter.

Yeddyurappa has again requested the Governor to provide him a copy of the order.
Earlier in the day, in a written statement, Yeddyurappa termed the Governor’s decision to given consent for prosecution as “arbitrary, partisan and unconstitutional”. He said the Governor took the decision even before a preliminary inquiry.

Soon after TV channels flashed the news on Governor’s consent, BJP President K S Eshwarappa, several Cabinet ministers, rushed to the chief minister’s Race Course Road residence and an emergency meeting was held.

BJP National General Secretary and in-charge of state affairs Dharmendra Pradhan, who was in Bangalore to attend the party’s core committee and office-bearers meeting, was also present.

Political agenda

Yeddyurappa in his statement alleged that the Governor was carrying his political agenda through his office.

He has not sought any opinion from the council of ministers or the government on the complaint.

Dharmendra Pradhan, in-charge of party affairs in the State, said the party will face the situation legally and politically. “There is no question of the Chief Minister resigning,” he said.

Eshwarappa said the Governor since assuming charge in Karnataka, had been deliberately raising communal and corruption issues thereby giving a new lease of life for the Congress.