Take note of Guv's complaints, CM told

The advisory details political and administrative developments in the state during the last three years. Normally, advisories are sent by the Union Home Secretary to the state Chief Secretary or by a lower level officer of the Home Ministry to an officer of equivalent rank of the state government.

The home minister himself writing to the chief minister clearly indicates that the Union government has taken serious note of the contents of the Governor’s report. Chidambaram is also learnt to have asked Yeddyurappa to stop alleged discrimination and oppression of minorities in Karnataka and take remedial action for their protection and welfare as it was a matter of grave concern, sources said.

In Bangalore, the ruling BJP made it appear that it was unaware of the advisory but sources in the chief minister’s office confirmed that the Centre had despatched the advisory and the secretary to the chief minister had received it.

The four-line covering letter to the advisory asked the government to follow directions given by the governor from time to time. The rest of the advisory itself comprised whatever issues the governor had raised in his report to Delhi.

 When contacted by Deccan Herald, Yeddyurappa neither confirmed nor denied recieving the advisory. Such communications were routine, he said. “I need to check from the chief secretary’s office,” he said around 9:30 pm. Chief Secertary S V Ranganath said till 8 pm his office had not received any communication from the Union Home ministry.

Though the Home ministry did not officially reveal the contents of the advisory, sources said it had highlighted several issues, including “breakdown of law and order, poor administration and corruption charges against the ministers” and “illegal mining, attack of minority institutions, horse-trading with inducement of legislators.”

Reminding the chief minister of the collapse of law and order in the State in several instances, particularly when several churches came under attack in 2008, the advisory touched on the thriving illegal mining in the State which had led to law and order problems and ‘collapse’ of the administrative machinery.

The Centre, which faced severe embarrassment after rejecting Bhardwaj’s second report, is apparently using this opportunity to highlight the administrative lapses and scandals in the BJP-ruled State.

After the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh rejected the Governor’s report recommending the imposition of President’s rule in Karnataka, the Centre has chosen to send the advisory to the State government asking it to address the issues raised by the governor.

This was the second advisory from the Centre to Karnataka after the BJP government assumed power. The Centre had sent the first advisory in three separate letters in a span of 15 days. The then Union home secretary Madhukar Gupta sent the advisory when several churches in the state came under attack in September 2008 .