Acting in accordance with conscience greatest tribute to Gandhi, says Karnataka CM

Bengaluru, Oct 2 (IANS) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Wednesday the court of one's conscience was higher than all other courts, and therefore, acting by conscience was the greatest honour they can offer to Mahatma Gandhi.

The statement comes after he invoked the conscience argument on Tuesday to justify his not resigning from the CM's post in the wake of the MUDA scam case. He has categorically refused to step down, saying that he "works with conscience" and there was "no need to resign". He said, "The MUDA case does not attract provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act."

On Wednesday, the CM was speaking at the inauguration of an event organised by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to commemorate the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and the Swachhata Andolana (cleanliness movement) pledge at the Banquet Hall of Vidhana Soudha.

CM Siddaramaiah declared that the ideals of his government are based on Mahatma Gandhi's ‘Sarvodaya’ (upliftment of all) and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar's ‘Antyodaya’ (upliftment of the last person in society).

"Mahatma Gandhi first travelled across rural India, understanding the lives and hardships of the people. He then organised the freedom struggle accordingly, even going to jail himself, and continued the fight until India achieved Independence...Gandhi’s call for the British to 'Quit India' led to their exit in 1947," he stated.

"...In independent India, we have implemented social and economic programmes that align with the ideals of the Constitution provided by Dr B.R. Ambedkar. Our guarantee programmes are also aimed at providing economic independence to the poor,” CM Siddaramaiah stated, adding that "the government's focus is on ‘Sarvodaya’ as envisioned by Gandhi and ‘Antyodaya’ as envisioned by Ambedkar. The country cannot progress without the progress of villages, and we have devised programmes for the development of rural areas."

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah flagged off a Gandhi March (foot march) from Gandhi Bhavan to Vidhana Soudha.

Later, at Vidhana Soudha, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah paid tributes by garlanding the statue of Mahatma Gandhi on the occasion of his 155th birth anniversary and the statue of former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri on the occasion of his 120th birth anniversary.

Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Ministers Lakshmi Hebbalkar, H.K. Patil, former Chief Minister Veerappa Moily, Legislative Council Chief Whip Saleem Ahmad, the Chief Minister's political secretary Nazeer Ahmad, Karnataka's Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh, BBMP Commissioner Tushar Girinath, Film Academy President Sadhu Kokila, and many other dignitaries were present at the event.