No changes in ACB: Govt clarifies to HC
Bengaluru, June 1: The state government on Friday gave a clarification to the Karnataka High Court that there would be no changes in the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and the JDS-Congress coalition government is committed to the decision taken by the previous government.
The Divisional Bench of the Karnataka High Court headed by Chief Justice Dinesh Maheshwari and Justice Shamprasad closed the case filed against the formation of the ACB. During the hearing, Additional Advocate General AS Ponnanna said that the government is committed to its earlier argument.
Meanwhile, advocate M Arun Sham appealed the court for a stay order against submitting any report by the ACB in related to a case against applicant Shivakumar H Pulse.
Responding to the appeal, the Bench observed that there is an interim order saying any process about this would be subjected to the final verdict.
As there was no argument from the advocate in favour of the applicant, the Divisional Bench closed the case pending the final decision.
Samaja Parivathana Trust and Bengaluru Bar Association have filed PILs in the High Court saying that as the formation of the ACB is against the Anti-Corruption Act, all cases filed by the ACB should be transferred to Lokayukta.
Along with these PILs, the High Court also heard other 11 applications filed against registering FIRs by the ACB. According to Lokpal Act, all states should set up Lokayukta and only Lokayukta should handle all cases related to elected representatives and government officials in related to corruption, they demanded.
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Congress using hijab issue to pacify minority anger, alleges Karnataka LoP R Ashoka
Bengaluru: Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashoka has accused the Congress government of using the hijab issue to placate what he described as discontent among minority voters after the Davanagere by-election.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Ashoka alleged that the state government, instead of addressing issues such as price rise, corruption, farmers’ distress and law and order, was attempting to retain its minority vote base by reviving the hijab issue.
Referring to the 2022 dress code introduced by the BJP government, which prohibited hijab in schools and colleges, Ashoka said the Karnataka High Court had upheld the policy and emphasised the importance of discipline in educational institutions.
He questioned the Congress government’s move to revisit the issue and asked whether setting aside the court-backed policy to benefit one community could be described as secularism.
Ashoka further alleged that while the government was willing to permit hijab, it continued to prohibit saffron shawls.
He accused the government of dividing students on religious lines rather than treating schools and colleges as spaces of equality.
Drawing a comparison with Mamata Banerjee’s government in West Bengal, Ashoka claimed that excessive appeasement politics had harmed the state and warned that the Congress in Karnataka could face a similar political response.
He said voters in Karnataka would teach the Congress a lesson for what he termed “vote-bank politics” and for compromising constitutional and judicial principles.
