A near total bandh was observed in Karnataka today as the ruling BJP gave vent to its anger over the Governor, Mr H.R. Bhardwaj, sanctioning the prosecution of the Chief Minister in alleged land scams and braced itself for a legal battle against the controversial move.

A senior minister also ruled out the Chief Minister Mr B.S. Yeddyurappa giving his resignation in the wake of the Governor’s decision

BJP held protests all over the state denouncing the action and demanded the recall of Mr Bhardwaj, who has passed the order, setting the stage for a major showdown between the Governor and the BJP in their already prevalent turbulent relationship.

According to initial reports, the bandh, described by BJP as “self-initiated” and “voluntary”, was “near total” and marked by stray violent incidents. Stone pelting on shops and buses were reported from places such as Belgaum, Gulbarga, Shimoga and Bangalore.

The Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order), Mr A.R. Infant, told PTI that two state-owned buses were set on fire at Honnali in Davanagere district on Friday night and a private bus in Bangalore.

A ministerial delegation, led by the Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Mr S. Suresh Kumar, today met the Governor at Raj Bhavan and sought a copy of the order sanctioning the prosecution of the Chief Minister.

“We had a long discussion. Ultimately, the Governor has agreed to give us a copy of his decision and order along with certain documents”, Mr Suresh Kumar told reporters.

Minutes later, the Raj Bhavan issued a press communique stating that the order had been delivered to the Chief Minister’s office.

Mr Suresh Kumar said the State Government is pursuing “all the courses, including legal remedies”, and is in touch with legal experts and the party’s national leadership. “By this evening, we will come out with our plan of action. We are strong on law; we are strong on legal grounds,” he said.

Asked whether the Chief Minister will resign, he said the question does not arise as he is a duly elected leader of the legislature party and there was no need for him to step down.

The Chief Minister is likely to file a petition before the High Court on January 24 challenging Mr Bhardwaj’s sanction to prosecute him under the provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act.

“We are already working on a framework. We will go to court. The Chief Minister is likely to file a petition before the High Court on Monday,” the Minister said.

The State Government has been in a huddle ever since the news of Governor’s action was out last night, with the party’s central leadership guiding its strategy.

Led by senior party leader Mr H.N. Ananth Kumar, the BJP held a demonstration here and demanded the recall of the Governor.

In view of the bandh, elaborate security arrangements have been made, with heavy deployment of police forces in and around the state.

The City Police Commissioner, Mr Shankar Bidari, said some 200 persons in the city have been taken into custody. Party leaders Mr Katta Subramanya Naidu, Mr Arvind Limbavali and Mr Ramachandra Gowda also courted arrest here.

Prohibitory orders had been promulgated in various places, including Bangalore, as a precautionary measure.

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