Five more rebel Cong MLAs from Karnataka move SC against Speaker not accepting their resignation
New Delhi: Five more rebel Congress MLAs from Karnataka moved the Supreme Court on Saturday against the Assembly Speaker not accepting their resignation.
These MLAs are Anand Singh, K Sudhakar, N Nagaraj, Munirathna and Roshan Baig.
They have sought impleadment in the already pending application filed by the 10 other rebels MLAs on which the hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.
These 10 rebel MLAs of Congress- JD(S) coalition who moved the apex court earlier alleging that the Speaker was not accepting their resignations were Pratap Gouda Patil, Ramesh Jarkiholi, Byrati Basavaraj, B C Patil, S T Somashekar, Arbail Shivaram Hebbar, Mahesh Kumathalli, K Gopalaiah, A H Vishwanath and Narayana Gowda.
Hearing their plea, the Supreme Court had on Friday restrained Karnataka Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar from taking any decision till Tuesday on the resignation and disqualification of these 10 MLAs.
Citing "weighty issues that have arisen,'' the apex court said it will consider the matter on July 16 and ordered that the status quo as of Friday should be maintained.
The resignation of these MLAs has plunged the H D Kumaraswamy government in Karnataka into a crisis as it faces the risk losing majority in the Assembly.
Apart from the question of maintainability of the writ petition filed under Article 32 of the Constitution by the MLAs, the apex court had said it needs to address as to whether the Speaker is obligated to decide on disqualification proceedings before accepting the resignations of MLAs.
The counsel for the rebels MLAs had contended that the Speaker has not decided on the resignations of the lawmakers to bind them with the party whip and disqualify them from the membership if they violate the whip on the floor of the House.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
NIA registers case to probe recovery of 79 crude bombs in poll-bound West Bengal
New Delhi (PTI): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday registered a case to probe recovery of 79 crude bombs in poll-bound West Bengal, officials said.
The move came following a directive by the Union Home Ministry in this regard, they said.
In pursuance to the home ministry's order, the anti-terror agency on Sunday registered a case, which was originally filed at Uttar Kashi police station, Bhangar division, Kolkata on Saturday, and took up the investigation, an NIA spokesperson said in a late night statement.
"The case pertains to recovery of 79 crude bombs and other incriminating materials by Kolkata police, which were being stored at a spot, thereby endangering human life and property," the spokesperson said.
Earlier in the day, the Election Commission had directed the West Bengal Police to launch a special drive to arrest those involved in illegal manufacturing of crude bombs in the poll-bound state, an official said.
It asserted that all cases related to the making of any such explosive would be probed by the National Investigation Agency, the official said.
The directive came after the police recovered a large number of crude bombs from the house of a person, allegedly a TMC worker, at Bhangar in South 24 Parganas district, days ahead of the second and final phase of the assembly polls in the state.
The explosives were recovered during a search at the residence of Rafikul Islam following specific inputs, the official said.
The poll panel also issued a warning to senior police officers across the state over any lapse in maintaining law and order before the April 29 polling.
The first phase of the assembly elections in West Bengal was held on April 23, while the second phase will take place on April 29. Votes will be counted on May 4.
A record 93.19 per cent turnout has been recorded in the first round of polling. Bhangar will vote in the second phase.
