Karnataka: Congress initiates backchannel negotiations to win back rebel MLAs
Bengaluru: As the political imbroglio continued in Karnataka, Senior Congress leaders Saturday began backchannel negotiations to persuade the disgruntled MLAs, who have resigned from the Assembly, dealing a blow to the coalition government.
A day after Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy made a surprise announcement in the Assembly that he would seek a trust vote, efforts were intensified to reach out to the dissident legislators.
Congress's troubleshooter and Water Resources Minister D K Shivakumar reached the residence of Housing Minister M T B Nagaraj at about 5 AM and camped there for almost four-and-a-half hours, trying to pacify him.
According to reports, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara too reached Nagaraj's house to convince him to withdraw the resignation.
Nagaraj had resigned from the MLA post on Wednesday. A similar attempt was on to persuade MLAs Ramalinga Reddy, Munirathna and R Roshan Baig.
Sources in JD(S) said Kumaraswamy is in direct talks with at least four Congress legislators, who have resigned, and was hopeful that they would withdraw their resignation.
In a bid to keep the flock together ahead of the floor test that is likely during the coming week, both the Congress and BJP shifted their MLAs to hotel and resorts.
Commenting on the developments, BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa said these efforts would not yield any result as the fall of the government was "imminent".
"There's confusion in Congress and JD(S) due to which the MLAs are fleeing the party. A systematic conspiracy is going on to bring the MLAs back," Yeddyurappa told reporters here.
"The atmosphere is chaotic and the fall of the government is imminent," the state BJP chief said. Claiming that the state government has lost majority, he said seeking the vote of confidence was "meaningless".
Kumaraswamy made the announcement about trust vote on the floor of the Assembly, after the Supreme Court Friday ordered the Speaker to maintain status quo on the resignations of 10 rebel MLAs belonging to the Congress-JDS coalition till July 16.
The coalition government, which has been shaky since it came into being last year after a post-poll arrangement in the wake of a hung verdict, is facing a serious crisis now with 16 MLAs -- 13 of the Congress and three of the JD(S) -- resigning from the Assembly.
Besides, two Independent legislators, who were made ministers recently to provide stability to the government, have quit the ministry and withdrawn their support to it.
The ruling coalition's total strength is 116 (Congress-78, JD(S)-37 and BSP-1), besides the Speaker. With the support of the two Independents, the BJP has 107 MLAs in the 224-member House.
If the resignations of the 16 MLAs are accepted, the coalition's tally will be reduced to 100. The Speaker too has a vote.
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Karnataka Assembly passes hate speech bill amid din
Belagavi (Karnataka), Dec 18 (PTI): The Karnataka Assembly on Thursday passed a bill against hate speech amid a din.
The Hate Speech and Hate Crimes (Prevention) Bill, the first such law in the country, has a provision for a jail term up to seven years and fine up to Rs one lakh.
It was passed amid din by the BJP MLAs.
The bill, cleared by the cabinet on December 4, was presented in the House by Home Minister G Parameshwara on December 10.
The Minister said the provision for 10 years jail term in the event of repeated offence has been reduced to seven years.
According to the bill, any expression, which is made, published or circulated in words either spoken or written or by signs or by visible representations or through electronic communication or otherwise, in public view, with an intention to cause injury, disharmony or feelings of enmity or hatred or ill-will against person alive or dead, class or group of persons or community, to meet any prejudicial interest, is hate speech.
During the discussion, Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh said coastal Karnataka is "burning" due to hate speech and hate crime.
BJP MLAs from the region raised objections to this and then trooped into the well of the house. Other BJP legislators followed them.
Later, the bill was passed.
