BJP slams Congress government over suspension of ex-MUDA Commissioner
Bengaluru (PTI): The BJP in Karnataka on Tuesday slammed the Congress government over the suspension of former Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) Commissioner G T Dinesh Kumar describing him a "sacrificial lamb".
An internal inquiry was conducted by the state government into the functioning of MUDA following reports of large scale irregularities. Kumar has been accused of taking several illegal measures while serving as the MUDA commissioner and, accordingly, he was suspended, a government order said.
Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on August 16 accorded sanction for prosecution of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in a MUDA case under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and Section 218 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.
In the MUDA 'scam', it is alleged that compensatory sites were allotted to Siddaramaiah's wife B M Parvathi in an upmarket area in Mysuru, which had higher property value as compared to the location of her land which had been "acquired" by the MUDA.
The MUDA had allotted plots to Parvathi under a 50:50 ratio scheme in lieu of 3.16 acres of her land, where MUDA developed a residential layout.
Under the controversial scheme, MUDA allotted 50 per cent of developed land to the land losers in lieu of undeveloped land acquired from them for forming residential layouts. Opposition and some activists have also claimed that Parvathi had no legal title over this 3.16 acres of land.
The BJP state president B Y Vijayendra said the Siddaramaiah-led government has found a scapegoat in Dinesh Kumar.
“Not surprising to see @inckarnataka govt still being stubborn & protecting itself by making former MUDA commissioner, a sacrificial lamb,” Vijayendra said in a post on ‘X’.
Kumar is “just a small fish in this whole corruption scandal. There are bigger, corrupt sharks, who are deeply involved & only a thorough CBI Investigation can unravel the whole truth!”, he said.
He once again demanded that Siddaramaiah resign immediately as the Chief Minister to facilitate the investigation.
On the suspension of Kumar, the Chief Minister told reporters in Mysuru on Tuesday that it has been done by the Urban Development Department.
When asked as to why action has been taken against one officer, when two were facing allegations, Siddaramaiah said: "whoever has committed any wrong, action will be taken against them based on the report of the inquiry commission that has been appointed. Let's see what comes from the inquiry commission report."
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SC upholds inclusion of ‘secular, socialist’ in Preamble of Constitution
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday upheld the inclusion of the words ‘socialist’ and ‘secular’ in the Preamble of the Constitution, confirming their retrospective application from November 26, 1949. The court ruled that the power to amend the Constitution under Article 368 extends to the Preamble, which is an integral part of the document.
A Bench led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna stated, “The power under Article 368 cannot be curtailed. It will equally apply to the Preamble.” The 42nd Constitutional Amendment, which introduced these terms in 1976 during the Emergency, was challenged on grounds of its retrospective application and the lack of states’ ratification.
The petitioners, including BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, argued that the amendment forced a particular economic theory on the nation and violated the original intent of the Constitution. Advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay contended that the Preamble reflects the will of the people at the time of adoption in 1949 and is therefore unalterable.
The court dismissed these objections, affirming that both socialism and secularism are part of the Constitution's Basic Structure. The Bench clarified that socialism refers to a welfare state ensuring equality of opportunity without negating private sector participation or individualism. It emphasised that secularism is embedded in the Constitution, particularly in the principles of equality and fraternity.
Chief Justice Khanna remarked, “Secularism has always been a core feature of the Constitution.” He added that the amendment did not impose socialism as dogma but aligned with the welfare goals enshrined in various constitutional provisions.
