The complaints were filed by advocates Siranjan Basha and K N Balaraj, on whose petitions Bhardwaj had late last night given his nod for prosecution in a development that intensified the political war between him and the state's ruling BJP.

The matter would come up before Additional City Civil Judge C Hipparagi on January 24.
Bhardwaj's sanction for prosecution has come under scathing attack from BJP which has described it as constitutionally 'improper' and 'politically motivated', protesting which a Karnataka bandh, sponsored by the ruling party, was enforced today.

The Governor, who rejected a January 19 cabinet resolution asking him to drop prosecution proceedings on the petition by the two lawyers, has defended his action saying he was entitled to act independently and not go by the council of ministers' advice.
The lawyers had filed the petition before Bhardwaj on December 28.