CM Siddaramaiah flays 'One Nation, One Election' Bill as attack on democracy and states' rights
Bengaluru, Dec 12: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday slammed the Union Cabinet's approval of the "One Nation, One Election" Bill, calling it an "assault on parliamentary democracy and the federal structure of India." He further described it as a "sinister conspiracy" aimed at undermining the rights of states.
He warned that if necessary his government would consult the Congress high command to pass a resolution opposing the proposal, similar to the Kerala government.
Condemning the Centre's move, Siddaramaiah said the current electoral system urgently requires meaningful reforms, and introducing such a bill would only "weaken" the foundations of democracy further.
In a post on the social media platform 'X', the CM said before approving such a critical bill, the central government should have consulted opposition parties and state governments.
"True to its authoritarian tendencies, the Modi government is attempting to impose this undemocratic proposal on the country," he said.
Referring to the Kerala government’s resolution rejecting the 'One Nation One Election' proposal, Siddaramaiah said, "If needed, our government will also consult the Congress High Command and adopt a similar resolution to send a strong message against this anti-democratic move."
He further criticized the proposal, saying it failed to address critical issues like how to handle crises when a ruling party loses its majority in the Lok Sabha or state assemblies.
"In such situations, the only democratic remedy is to conduct fresh elections. Allowing a minority government to continue in power despite losing confidence would be treachery against democracy," he alleged.
Siddaramaiah pointed out that implementing "One Nation, One Election" would require significant amendments to the Representation of the People Act and at least five key provisions of the Constitution.
He also questioned the Election Commission’s ability to handle simultaneous elections nationwide, citing a lack of adequate resources and capacity.
Describing the proposal as a "gimmick," Siddaramaiah charged the Modi government with using it as a distraction from its "collosal failures". "This is not about electoral reforms but about consolidating power and undermining the democratic spirit of our nation," he alleged in his post.
The Union Cabinet’s approval of the "One Nation, One Election" Bill is not only an assault on parliamentary democracy and the federal structure of India but also a sinister conspiracy to curb the rights of states. At a time when the current electoral system is in dire need of…
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) December 12, 2024
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Delhi HC asks Jaideep Sengar to surrender in Unnao custodial death case
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi High Court on Friday asked Jaideep Sengar, brother of Unnao rape case convict Kuldeep Sengar, to surrender before jail authorities in connection with his conviction in the custodial death case of the survivor's father.
A bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Ravinder Dudeja was hearing a plea by the convict for further extension of interim bail upon suspension of the 10-year sentence.
It observed that the interim bail granted to Jaideep Sengar in July 2024 was last extended in April 2025 and since then, in spite of five dates, no order of any further extension or suspension of his sentence has been passed by the court.
As the senior counsel for Jaideep Sengar urged the bench to extend the period of his release on account of his health, the bench said, "You surrender and then we will see."
"Although there is no extension of interim suspension of sentence granted, we find he has still not surrendered. Before we proceed to consider his application for further extension of suspension of sentence, we require the appellant to first surrender," the bench ordered.
The senior counsel for Jaideep Sengar assured the court that he would surrender by Saturday.
The court listed the matter for hearing next week.
Jaideep Sengar, 50, sought the bail extension on the grounds that he is suffering from oral cancer.
The Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) counsel had earlier said it was not a fit case for extension of interim bail, and the prescription given by Jaideep Sengar in support of his plea was fabricated.
In his application, Jaideep Sengar said he was suffering from stage IV oral cancer, a life-threatening condition, and had developed clinical signs of recurrence.
The condition, the plea said, required continuous and specialised medical care.
The plea also informed that Jaideep Sengar has spent about four years in custody.
The high court had granted interim bail to Jaideep Sengar on July 3, 2024, for two months on medical grounds.
Kuldeep Sengar was convicted and sentenced to imprisonment for the remainder of his life on December 20, 2019, for raping the minor in 2017.
On March 13, 2020, Kuldeep Sengar, along with Jaideep Sengar, was sentenced to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment by the trial court, which also imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh, in the custodial death case of the rape survivor's father.
The survivor's father was arrested, allegedly at the behest of the accused, under the Arms Act and died in custody on April 9, 2018, owing to police brutality.
The trial court said no leniency could be shown for killing a family's sole breadwinner.
