Mangaluru: Mangaluru-based social and environment activist H. Shashidhar Shetty has petitioned the Governor seeking his sanction to prosecute Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Ministers D.K. Shivakumar, B. Ramanath Rai and U.T. Khader for the alleged misuse of office and power for personal gain and profit using tax payers money.

Mr. Shetty told reporters here on Thursday that Mr. Siddaramaiah and other Ministers made political speech during the launch of various development programmes at Bantwal, Mr. Rai’s constituency, on October 22, 2017.

Various government organisations had spent ₹ 2,65,752 in all for events organised in Bantwal, including the inauguration of the Mini Vidhana Soudha. The expenditure incurred for their travel by air from Bengaluru to Mangaluru and other places were not included in this, he said.

He said that Mr. Siddaramaiah and the other Ministers spoke ill about other political parties and leaders while fomenting the Congress’ agenda. Tax payers money was misused to advance political interests of the Ministers, Mr. Shetty said and added that he sought the Governor’s sanction under Section 169 of the Code of Criminal Procedure through his petition of February 27, 2018.

Clarifying that he does not have any political leanings, Mr. Shetty said that his move is aimed at sensitising people about their rights. “Be it Mr. Siddaramaiah or Prime Minister Narendra Modi, no one has the right to misuse public money for political or personal gains,” he said.

Mr. Shetty said that he has submitted all relevant documents, including the video compact disc of the programme, to the Governor.