2 'rebel' BJP MLAs in Karnataka send reply to party over violation of whip in RS polls
Bengaluru: BJP 'rebel' MLAs S T Somashekar and Arabail Shivaram Hebbar on Thursday said they have sent their reply running into 170 pages, quoting judgements by various courts across the country in such cases, to the notice issued by the party for violating the whip in the recent Rajya Sabha polls.
Hebbar, MLA from Yellapur, did not turn up for the voting, citing health grounds, while Yeshwanthpur MLA Somashekar voted in favour of Congress in the name of ''conscience'', during the polls to four seats of Rajya Sabha from Karnataka on February 27, in an embarrassment to the BJP.
Both of them today together met Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress chief D K Shivakumar, but maintained that it was regarding water issues in their respective assembly segments.
''BJP has served notice, we have replied to it, we are waiting for action. We have replied to whatever they had asked. They have issued a one page notice, We have given 170 page replies. We have quoted similar developments throughout India, also quoting court judgements,'' Somashekar said.
Speaking to reporters, he said, the stand BJP had taken in Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and other states have been mentioned in the reply.
''I have pointed out differences in stands taken by the party in Karnataka and other states in my reply,'' he said, adding that he has no disgruntlement with state-level BJP leaders.
Somashekar also expressed his displeasure regarding BJP's Bangalore North candidate and Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje.
Noting that his assembly constituency comes under Bangalore North Lok Sabha segment, he said he had no differences with late D B Chandre Gowda and D V Sadanada Gowda who have been BJP MPs from the segment, ''but I myself have to fear to go to my constituency now, as I don't know when the now BJP candidate (Shobha Karadlaje), makes hate speeches or speaks against me.'' ''If things continue like this, a situation may arise for me to meet the police commissioner and seek protection,'' he added, asking ''whether she has come to become MP or to instigate things?''
Hebbar said he too has quoted various judgements of the courts in different parts of the country in his response, which may be a couple of pages less compared to Somashekar's reply. ''Notice issue is same for me and Somashekar, but the only difference is he cast the vote while I was absent.'' Asked whether he will work for BJP in the Lok Sabha polls, Hebbar said the candidate for his constituency (Uttara Kannada Lok Sabha) has not been declared by the party yet. ''Let's see, I will decide after it is announced.''
Somashekar and Hebbar were earlier in the Congress. They were among 17 Congress-JD(S) legislators, who had quit from their parties, which ultimately led to the collapse of the then H D Kumaraswamy-led coalition government in July 2019.
They had subsequently won the bypolls on BJP ticket and served as Ministers in the previous saffron party government.
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Ban on outsiders' entry extended in Sambhal, SP MPs barred from entering
Lucknow/Sambhal (UP) (PTI): Three Samajwadi Party parliamentarians, including its Sambhal MP, were stopped from entering the violence-hit district, as the administration on Saturday extended the ban on the entry of outsiders into Sambhal to December 10 to maintain "peace and order".
The administration's earlier ban on the entry of outsiders was to expire on Saturday.
The Samajwadi Party's Muzaffarnagar MP Harendra Malik, accompanied by its Kairana and Sambhal MPs, was stopped from entering Sambhal from Ghaziabad.
"I don't understand why we are being stopped. Are the opposition leader and the MPs so irresponsible that they can't be allowed to move within the state?" Malik said.
The party had earlier announced a 15-member delegation would visit the district to gather information about the violence that broke out over a court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid.
Curbs under Section 163 (power to issue order in urgent cases of nuisance or apprehended danger) of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, set to expire on Sunday, were extended to December 31.
In a statement issued in Sambhal, District Magistrate Rajendra Pensiya said, "To maintain peace and order, the imposition of Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita in the district has been extended to December 31."
"No outsider, any social organisation or public representative can enter into the borders of the district without seeking the permission of the competent authority till December 10," he added.
Tension had been brewing in Sambhal since November 19 when the court-ordered survey of the Mughal-era mosque was carried out following claims that a Harihar temple previously stood at the site.
Violence erupted during a second survey on November 24 as protesters gathered near the mosque and clashed with security personnel, leading to stone pelting and arson. Four people died and several others were injured in the clashes. The police have denied allegations that it fired at the protesters.
The Supreme Court has since ordered the Sambhal trial court to halt proceedings in the case and its survey.
Pensiya further said, "If anyone tries to spread rumours on any group on social media, the group admin will delete the post and immediately inform the police. Cyber cafes will keep a register to enter the names of visitors. No person in Sambhal will burn effigies at public places."
Malik, who was stopped from entering Sambhal, further said, "Our delegation also included MPs Zia-ur-Rehman Barq (Sambhal) and Iqra Hasan (Kairana). What can we do? The government is acting in an autocratic manner."
Sambhal MP Barq has been booked in connection with the November 24 violence for "provocative acts".
In Moradabad, Samajwadi Party MP Ruchi Veera's residence was surrounded by cops to prevent her from travelling to Sambhal.
Leader of Opposition in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly Mata Prasad Pandey, who was to lead the delegation, told reporters outside his Lucknow residence that Home Secretary Sanjay Prasad called him and requested him to not visit Sambhal.
Pandey is sitting on a dharna in Lucknow.
"The Sambhal district magistrate also called and told me that the ban on the entry of outsiders had been extended. I will now visit the party office and discuss the issue before deciding on our next action," he said.
"The government perhaps wanted to prevent me in order to hide its wrongdoings in Sambhal as our visit would have exposed its mistakes," he added.
Heavy security has been deployed outside Pandey's residence since Friday.
The Samajwadi Party had postponed an earlier visit after assurances from the director general of police about a fair investigation into the violence.
Congress state chief Ajay Rai earlier told PTI that a party delegation would visit Sambhal on December 2.
