Thank god for Supreme Court, says Chidambaram
New Delhi, May 19: Congress leader P. Chidambaram on Saturday condemned the BJP for trying to derail the trust vote in Karnataka Assembly and expressed his gratitude to the Supreme Court for ordering a floor test.
He also appreciated the apex court's decision to allow live telecast of the proceedings.
"How many moves will the BJP make before the vote of confidence in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly? How many obstacles will they put? First of all, give us 15 days. Second, Anglo-Indian members. Third, secret ballot. Fourth, plotting a pro tem speaker. Fifth, the search is on," he tweeted.
"Thank God that there is Supreme Court," he said, condemning the "lack of faith" among political parties in the top court.
He further questioned that when 221 elected men and women cannot decide on who among them enjoys the majority, how was India a democracy.
"I salute the Supreme Court. Now, let the Congress and JDS MLAs stand by their respective party and uphold the Constitution."
"In Karnataka, what is at stake is not only who will form the government, but who will be loyal to the electorate and uphold the verdict of his/her voters."
"Every trick of the BJP to delay or derail the vote of confidence has been defeated. Now, I am sure the Congress and JD-S MLAs will defeat Yeddyurappa," he said in a series of tweets.
Earlier on Saturday, the Congress and the Janata Dal-Secular dropped their plea questioning Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala's decision to appoint K.G. Bopaiah as the pro tem speaker in the assembly, after the apex court allowed live streaming of the floor test to be held at 4 p.m.
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Police making efforts to locate, recover weapons disposed of by Maoists: Karnataka Home Minister
Bengaluru, Jan 10: Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Friday said that six surrendered Maoists have not handed over their weapons, and the police are working to locate and recover them from the forest where they are believed to have been disposed of.
Noting that one Maoist, expelled from the surrendered group, is still at large and efforts are underway to trace him, he said there is no one else involved in Naxal activities in the state. He added that any individuals coming from other states will be closely monitored.
A group of six Maoists surrendered to the government in the presence of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at his home office, ‘Krishna,’ on Wednesday evening.
The group includes four individuals from Karnataka: Mundagaru Latha from Sringeri, Vanajakshi Balehole from Kalasa, Sundari Kutluru from Dakshina Kannada, and Mareppa Aroli from Raichur. The other two are Vasantha K from Vellore in Tamil Nadu and N Jeesha from Wayanad in Kerala.
"We need to search for the weapons. It is not yet known where they were disposed of in the forest, but efforts are underway in that direction," Parameshwara told reporters in response to a question.
Addressing the BJP's allegation that the government prioritised rehabilitation for Maoists over recovering their weapons, he said, "They keep making such claims. The government will do its job. We may need to gather information from the Maoists about where the weapons were hidden and seek their assistance. There are procedures, and they will be followed."
The BJP has also been in government, and they are aware of this. It was the same police department during their tenure, he added.
The six surrendered Maoists will be rehabilitated under categories 'A' and 'B' of the Naxal Surrender Policy, Karnataka 2024, and will each receive Rs 3 lakh.
In response to a question about reports that another Maoist, Ravindra, is still at large, the Home Minister said, "According to the information we have, this group had expelled him, but the reasons are not yet known. Efforts are underway to trace him, and he is believed to be in the Chikkamagaluru region."
Regarding the surrendered Maoists, the Home Minister stated that they were the last active Maoists in the state.
He added, "If anyone comes from other states, it will be closely monitored. There is a possibility of individuals coming from Odisha or Kerala, and we will remain vigilant. The government is making efforts to discourage Naxalism. According to our information, no one else is currently involved in such activities in the state."
The surrender followed the killing of Maoist leader Vikram Gowda in an encounter with the Anti-Naxal Force at Peetabailu village in Hebri, Udupi district, on November 18, 2024.
When asked about Vikram Gowda's family seeking compensation in light of the package being provided to surrendered Maoists, Parameshwara said, "It will be verified. Both cases are different."
