In a major political row, former Prime Minister and JDS national president HD Deve Gowda was not given an audience with Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala on Monday. The major Opposition parties — both BJP and JDS — are opposing creation of Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) by the ruling Congress Government led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah which is expected to weaken the lokayukta.
According to Deve Gowda despite seeking an appointment to submit a memorandum to abolish controversial ACB with the Governor, refused to meet the former PM citing that the Governor was “resting” and asleep. After a padayatra from the Mahatma Gandhi statue to Freedom Park, Gowda tried to meet Vala to impress upon him the need to abolish the newly formed ACB. Gowda was made to wait inside the premises for 45 minutes before being turned away without an audience with Vala.
Gowda told the media, accompanied by a set of angry MlCs and MlAs, and said: "Today (Monday), I tried to meet the Governor to submit a memorandum from JD(S) on the need to abolish the ACB. However, we were told the Governor was resting and asleep, and were not granted an audience. We were told by the ADC of the Governor that we had not given any prior intimation before arriving at the Raj Bhavan to meet him. But, the fact is we had sent a letter to Raj Bhavan on April 3 and I, myself, called the ADC to seeking an appointment. This is the situation in our country."
Gowda was sarcastic and said Governors in the country come to Raj Bhavan to "rest" and "relax" and that it was a sign of the British colonial slavery which was being continued. Gowda was upset and blamed the Governor for creating the convention and precedence by turning down a former Prime Minister without an audience.
Earlier in the day Gowda and his party leaders held a rally to protest against the creation of ACB. After this he went with few JDs leaders to meet the governor which was turned down by Rajbhavan. His son HD Kumaraswamy accompanied him. 82 year old Devegowda has been an inevitable politician in the Karnataka's political space.