SC Upholds Disqualification of 17 MLAs, but Allows Them to Contest 5 Dec Bypolls
The Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld the Karnataka Assembly speaker’s July decision to disqualify 17 rebel Congress-JD (S) MLAs, who brought down the HD Kumaraswamy government, but allowed them to contest bypolls from constituencies that fell vacant after their disqualification.
The unanimous judgment by a bench of Justices NV Ramana, Sanjiv Khanna and Krishna Murari, a rare judicial occurrence which pleased both sides, will have an important bearing on 5 December bypolls and on whether the BJP government will acquire a majority in the 225-strong state Assembly. It currently enjoys the support of 106 MLAs and will be required to win six of the seats in the fray to have a majority.
(Source: The Times of India)
2. After Denying BJP’s Role in Their Defection, all Karnataka Rebel MLAs to Join Saffron Party
On the heels of the Supreme Court order, which upheld the disqualification of the Karnataka MLAs but allowed them to contest elections, Ramesh Jarkiholi, the former legislator from Gokak, told the media that all 17 rebels would join the BJP on Thursday.
“All 17 disgruntled leaders have just had a meeting with the BJP leaders. We have all unanimously decided to join the BJP tomorrow (Thursday) at 10.30 am,” Ramesh Jarkiholi said, while adding, “Dacoits have gone on to become MLAs, can’t disgruntled leaders get re-elected? We will contest the elections and are confident of winning.”
(Source: The News Minute)
3. KIA to be Turned Into an ‘Airport City’
The upcoming Terminal 2 at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) will be designed to reflect Karnataka through art, and will celebrate the state’s heritage and culture.
At an art symposium by the Bangalore International Airport Limited, which operates KIA, Hari Marar, Managing Director and CEO, spoke about the long-term plans to build an ‘airport city’ over the next 15 years.
“In the next six years alone, we will have business parks, convention centres, concert arenas, retail, entertainment and hospitality. The airport city is also going to be designed so that is pedestrian friendly with connector metro lines,” said Marar. However, regulatory clearances are yet to be sought.
(Source: The Hindu)
4. Illegal Phone Taps: CBI to Grill City Inspectors
The CBI, which is investigating illegal phone taps in Karnataka, has summoned inspectors from most of the 107 police stations in Bengaluru after it emerged hundreds of requests to intercept calls were raised and approved in a year starting August 2018.
The massive operation, which allegedly targeted MLAs, bureaucrats and police officers, took place during the regime of HD Kumaraswamy. He has vehemently denied any role in it.
Sources in the CBI said most of the 107 police stations placed interception requests. Each request pertained to monitoring one phone number for about a week. Applications for one week are cleared within the Bengaluru police hierarchy; those for longer periods must be sent to the state home secretary.
(Source: The Times of India)
5. Bengaluru Woman in Sharjah Alleges Harassment
Authorities in India and the United Arab Emirates sprang into action after a woman from Bengaluru living in Sharjah posted a video on Twitter crying for help alleging physical abuse.
The woman, who was bleeding, alleged that the culprit is her husband who had subjected her to domestic violence and repeated physical assaults. She did not want to stay in the UAE and expressed her wish to return home to India with her children: one is five years old and the other is 17 months old.
She tagged Prime Minister Narendra Modi in her tweet. As the post went went viral, the Sharjah police and the Consulate General of India in Dubai rushed to her help.
(Source: The Hindu)
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