3 rebel Karnataka MLAs summoned by Assembly Speaker fail to turn up
Bengaluru, Jul 12: Three rebel Congress and JDS MLAs failed to appear before Karnataka Assembly Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar Friday as sought by him for a personal hearing over their resignations, official sources said.
The Speaker had on July 9 asked the three MLAs to appear before him at his office between 3 pm and 4 pm Friday for a personal hearing.
The MLAs are Narayana Gowda of JDS and Anand Singh and Prathap Gouda Patil of Congress.
However, none of them turned up, the sources said.
While Gowda and Patil remained in Mumbai along with other rebels, Singh is learnt to have left for Goa.
Earlier in the day, the Speaker told reporters that I will start the process if they come..."
The three MLAs are part of the first batch of 13 legislators of the ruling Congress-JDS combine who resigned from the assembly last Saturday, dealing a blow to the coalition government. Later, three other MLAs quit.
Ramesh Kumar had held that the resignation letters of only five out of the 13 MLAs were in proper format. Besides that of Gowda, Patil and Singh, the letters of K Gopalaiah (JDS) and Ramalinga Reddy (Congress) were found in order.
He had then fixed July 15 for hearing Gopaliah and Reddy while asking others to submit their resignations properly.
Ten MLAs who moved the Supreme Court alleging that the Speaker was not accepting their resignations had appeared before him Thursday as directed by the court and submitted resignations afresh.
After the MLAs met him, the Speaker ruled out any immediate decision on the resignation.
When the matter came up for hearing Friday, the apex court restrained the Speaker from taking any decision on the resignations as well as disqualification of the MLAs till July 16.
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PM to reach Sikkim on Monday to attend 50 years of statehood ceremony, launch Rs 4,000 cr projects
Gangtok (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to reach Sikkim on Monday for a two-day tour, during which he will hold a roadshow, attend the closing ceremony of 50 years of statehood and launch projects worth Rs 4,000 crore, officials said.
Elaborate security arrangements have been put in place in the state capital and surrounding areas in view of Modi's visit, they said.
According to the itinerary of his visit, Modi will arrive in Gangtok around 3 pm and will hold a roadshow to Lok Bhawan here soon after landing at Libing helipad.
The Prime Minister will visit the Orchidarium in Gangtok the next day. To showcase the ecological and floral heritage of the state, a "Swarnajayanti Maitri Manjari Park" has been developed as a world-class Orchid Experience Centre on the golden jubilee of Sikkim's statehood.
He will launch multiple development projects worth over Rs 4,000 crore across the state while participating in the closing ceremony of Sikkim's 50th year of statehood at Paljor Stadium.
The projects span a wide range of sectors, including infrastructure, connectivity, healthcare, education, power, urban development, environment, tourism and agriculture, the officials said.
The Prime Minister will also address the gathering on the occasion, the officials said.
Modi had been scheduled to be present at the opening ceremony of the year-long celebrations of 50 years of Sikkim's statehood at Paljor Stadium last year, but he could not reach the venue due to inclement weather. He, however, addressed the gathering through video conferencing from Bagdogra in neighbouring West Bengal.
