The Centre today said the Karnataka Government cannot standby when there are acts of violence and the law and order is disrupted by party cadres. Home Minister P Chidambaram said the State Government is obliged to maintain law and order. Taking note of the developments in Karnataka, he asked Home Secretary G K Pillai to speak to the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police in Karnataka in this regard. Expressing disappointment that the BJP has taken to the streets, the Home Minister said that was not correct and was totally unacceptable. He hoped the BJP would advise its state units to abide by law and the Karnataka Government to discharge its constitutional obligation. Setting out the constitutional and legal position, Chidambaram said that was not the first time that a Governor has given sanction to prosecute a Chief Minister or a Minister of a State Government. Chidambaram said that law in that regard was clear and well settled. He drew the attention of the BJP to the observation by the Lok Ayukta of Karnataka Justice Santosh Hegde that the Governor had the jurisdiction to grant sanction for prosecution. Quoting from a judgement of an earlier case, the Home Minister said that the then Governor of Madhya Pradesh had over ruled the advice of the Cabinet and granted sanction to prosecute two Ministers and the Supreme Court had upheld the governor's order. He also said the BJP knew any person aggrieved by the order of the Governor can seek legal remedies.