Six to Seven Karnataka Ministers will have to resign if documents are released: H D Kumaraswamy
Bengaluru: Hitting out at the Siddaramaiah-led government in Karnataka on a host of issues, including 'corruption', JD(S) leader and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Saturday said if he released the documents in his possession, six to seven state Ministers will have to resign.
He claimed that the Congress administration was trying to "fix" him in some cases, after he began cornering the state government in connection with some alleged irregularities and started discussing them in public.
"Siddaramaiah had accused (previous BJP government) of being 40 per cent commission govt and came to power. Today his own party is saying after this government coming to power it is more than 40 per cent (commission). Mr Siddaramaiah, did people give you power for this?" Kumaraswamy asked.
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Addressing reporters here, he said, "I have things (with me), I'm not running away. If I release the documents I have, six to seven Ministers will have to resign...I will release, will not run away with fear, no hit and run...." Targetting the CM on the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment case, the JD(S) state president asked, "If he (Siddaramaiah) had no role in the Mysuru (MUDA) scam, then why are certain decisions are being made by the cabinet hurriedly?" citing the government withdrawing general consent given to CBI to investigate cases in the State.
Accusing the government of bringing in a new kind of legal system in the state as per which arrests are being made in several cases just because someone gives a complaint , he said, "but in your (Siddaramaiah) case despite 48 hours, after the court issued directions, FIR was not registered." The Lokayukta police on Friday registered an FIR against Siddaramaiah and others in the MUDA site allotment case, following a Special Court in Bengaluru ordering a probe against him.
Charging the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and Home Minister G Parameshwara with using the police department and officials, in their efforts to end few people politically, Kumaraswamy asked, "how many officials have you promised Bengaluru Commissioner, CID chief posts? and what are you making them do for it?" ".....in the last one year, before I joined hands with the BJP and from the day I started targeting your government, how many meetings have you held at officials and ministers level? Don't I have information as to what you are up to?" he questioned.
Kumaraswamy had on Friday appeared before the Lokayukta police for questioning in connection with a land denotification case.
Noting that he had voluntarily appeared before Lokayukta police, the Union Minister alleged that wrong information was spread among a section of media that Lokayukta had served him a notice, to divert the attention of the public from the CM's case that is in the limelight.
"Gangenahalli denotification case is just for diversion nothing else, they (govt) can't do anything (to me) further in the case... I have signed a file, but I have not ordered denotification. I had said in the noting on the file I signed that after scrutinizing legally, see what action can be taken (to officials). I have not said to denotify. Let them (govt) do any probe, I'm not worried," he said.
Hitting out at the CM for claiming that BJP and JD(S) were conspiring to destabilise his government, Kumaraswamy, also a former Chief Minister, said people gave Siddaramaiah/Congress the mandate for five years, "but what are you doing? I have pain that today no discussion is happening in the state on developmental issues or on issues concerning people." "What has got prominence in Karnataka today is the police department and some scam related issues," he said.
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Pressure groups trying to use social media to affect outcome of cases: Ex CJI Chandrachud
New Delhi, Nov 24: Former Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud on Sunday said social media is being used by special interest groups to influence outcome of cases and judges need to be wary of them.
He also noted that people nowadays want to form an opinion on the basis of 20 seconds they see on YouTube or any other social media platform, saying it poses a great danger.
"Today there are special interest groups, pressure groups who are trying to use social media to affect the minds of the courts and the outcomes of cases. Every citizen is entitled to understand what is the basis of a decision and to express their opinions on the decisions of the court. But when this goes beyond the decisions of the court and targets individual judges, then it sort of raises fundamental questions about - Is this truly freedom of speech and expression?" he said.
"Everybody, therefore wants to form an opinion in 20 seconds of what they see on YouTube or any social media platform. This poses a grave danger because the process of decision-making in the courts is far more serious. It is really nuanced that nobody has the patience or the tolerance today on social media to understand, and that is a very serious issue that is confronting the Indian judiciary," he said while speaking at NDTV India's Samvidhan@75 Conclave.
"Judges have to be very careful about the fact that they are constantly being subject to this barrage of special interest groups trying to alter the decisions of what happens in the courts," he said while replying to a question on whether trolling on social media impacts judges.
Chandrachud also said that in a democracy the power to decide the validity of laws is entrusted to the constitutional courts.
"Separation of powers postulates that law-making will be carried out by the legislature, execution of law will be carried out by the executive and the judiciary will interpret the law and decide the disputes. There are times when this comes under strain. Policy making is entrusted to the government in a democracy.
"When fundamental rights are involved, courts are duty bound under the Constitution to step in. Policy making is the job of the legislature, but deciding on its validity is the job and responsibility of the courts," Chandrachud said.
Defending the collegium system, the 50th CJI said there is a lot of misunderstanding about the process and it very nuanced and multi-layered.
"It's not as if the judiciary has exclusive role to play in appointment of judges," he said adding that first thing to be considered in seniority of judges.
When asked, if judges should enter politics, the former CJI said there is no bar in Constitution or in law to do so.
"Society continues to look at you as a judge even after retirement, therefore, things which are alright for other citizens to do would not be alright for judges to do even when they demit office.
"Primarily it is for every judge to take a call on whether a decision which he takes after retirement will have a bearing on people who assess the work which he did as a judge," he said.
Chandrachud retired on November 10 after a stint of two years as CJI.
