Rahul terms Yeddyurappa's swearing-in 'mockery of Constitution'
New Delhi, May 17: Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday termed the swearing-in of BJP leader B.S. Yeddyurappa as Karnataka Chief Minister a 'mockery' of Constitution after his party failed to garner a majority in the state assembly.
Yeddyurappa took oath as the Chief Minister in Bengaluru on Thursday hours after the Supreme Court declined to stay his swearing-in ceremony.
"The BJP's irrational insistence that it will form a government in Karnataka, even though it clearly does not have the numbers, is to make a mockery of our Constitution," Gandhi said on Twitter.
"This morning, while the Bharatiya Janata Party celebrates its hollow victory, India will mourn the defeat of democracy," he added.
Governor Vajubhai Vala administered the oath of office and secrecy to Yeddyurappa at 9 a.m. at the Raj Bhavan amid tight security.
Earlier, a three-judge bench of the apex court rejected a joint writ petition of the Congress and the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) to stall the swearing-in at a special pre-dawn hearing.
Although the top court said the swearing-in was subject to the final outcome of the matter before it and posted the case for further hearing at 10.30 a.m. on Friday.
It also sought the letter Yeddyurappa wrote to the Governor on Wednesday informing him his election as the Bharatiya Janata Party's legislature party leader in Karnataka.
On Thursday, Congress leader and former Finance Minister P.Chidambaram tweeted saying Yedyurappa's letter to the Governor will 'seal his fate'.
"Yedyurappa's letter to the Governor will seal his fate. There is no mention of a number bigger than 104. The Governor's invitation does not mention any number at all!" he wrote on the site.
"I salute the Supreme Court. If I were Yeddyurappa, I will not take oath until the hearing at 10.30 am on Friday," he added.
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Two women burn five puppies alive in Meerut, FIR lodged
Meerut (UP), Nov 8: Police in Meerut's Kankerkheda area have booked two women accused of burning alive five stray puppies by pouring petrol over them, officials said on Friday.
The women, residents of the same neighbourhood, were allegedly frustrated by the noise made by the puppies, according to locals.
Station House Officer Jitendra Kumar told PTI that the FIR was filed based on the statement provided by Anshumali Vashishth, general secretary of the Animal Care Society.
The two accused, Shobha and Aarti, have been booked under Section 325 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (mischief by killing or maiming animal) in the case lodged at Kankerkheda police station.
"Further legal action will follow upon investigation," Kumar said.
According to the complaint, the incident took place on November 5 in Sant Nagar Colony on Rohta Road.
Vashishth claimed that a street dog had recently given birth to five puppies, which were allegedly targeted by the accused women. They poured petrol on the puppies and set them on fire.
On Friday, representatives of the Meerut Vyapar Mandal met Circle Officer (CO) Daurala Shuchita Singh to bring the incident to his attention and demand strict action against the women involved.
