Deve Gowda rules out JDS' support to Yediyurappa-led BJP govt
Bengaluru, Jul 27: Former Prime Minister and JDS supremo H D Deve Gowda Saturday ruled out any support to the BJP government headed by B S Yediyurappa, saying his party would play the role of a "constructive" opposition.
Gowda made the party position clear a day after a section of JD(S) legislators asked former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy to extend support to the BJP government in Karnataka.
After a meeting of JDS MLAs on Friday, party senior leader G T Devegowda had said "Some have suggested that we should sit in opposition, while some legislators are of the opinion that we should support the BJP from outside."
TheBJP government headed by Yediyurappa took office on Friday after the collapse of the Congress-JDS coalition ministry with the defeat of the motion of confidence in the assembly on Tuesday last.
"We are going to play a constructive role. As a regional party we will oppose where we have to oppose. That's all.
If you (Yediyurappa) do something good for the state, we will welcome it," Deve Gowda told reporters here.
The JDS patriarch said "There is no big deal in saying so (support to BJP). His (H T Devegowda's) intention was that the finance bill was passed (before July 31) because it was a budget presented by Kumaraswamy."
Gowda explained that G T Devegowda intended to say that the JD(S) would not oppose every move of BJP just for the heck of it.
"The pain of losing power within 14 months instead of 60 months (five years) is evident among Congress and the JD(S)leaders. Hence, G T Devegowda expressed his views.
What's the big deal in it? Isn't it his right to express views?" he said.
Welcoming Yeddyurappa's statement that he would not practice the politics of vengeance and would take the opposition along, Gowda promised to play the role of a "constructive" opposition.
Gowda also underlined the coalition pangs Kumaraswamy had to suffer as chief minister.
"My son had wept in front of the JP Bhavan for the pain he suffered ever since he became chief minister.I know everything."
The 87-year-old JD(S) leader insisted that he was least bothered about the fall of the government headed by his son Kumaraswamy as he had dedicated workers to bank on.
He said he would also strive to save the party.
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Kerala court sentences man to life imprisonment for doc's murder in hospital
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Kollam (PTI): A teacher convicted in the sensational murder of Dr Vandana Das inside a hospital here was sentenced to life term on Saturday, and the prosecution said it will move an appeal seeking death penalty for the accused. The victim's family also batted for "maximum punishment".
Dr Das was brutally killed inside a taluk hospital in May 2023 by G Sandeep.
Kollam Additional District and Sessions judge P N Vinod sentenced Sandeep to a total of 30 years for various offences under the then Indian Penal Code (IPC) and said that after he serves that period, his life imprisonment for Das' murder will commence.
The court also imposed a fine of Rs 2.35 lakh on the convict.
Though the prosecution had sought death penalty for the accused during the arguments on sentence, the court was of the view that the case does not fall under the rarest-of-rare category to warrant the maximum punishment.
It was also of the view that there was a chance of the convict getting reformed as he told the court that the rest of his life would be one of repentance, the order on sentence said.
"At the same time, I agree with the stand of the prosecution to the effect that the sentence should commensurate with the gravity of the crime and the sentence should not only be reformative, but should also have a deterrent effect."
"In my view, the said objective can be achieved by directing that the term sentences that will be imposed will run consecutively and life sentence that has to be imposed will commence only after the expiration of terms sentences," the judge said.
After the verdict, special public prosecutor (SPP) Prathap G Padickal told reporters outside the court that he will recommend to the prosecution to file an appeal seeking enhancement of the life imprisonment to death penalty.
The victim's father said that the verdict has come as a relief for the family, but that he cannot authoritatively say whether his late daughter has got justice. He indicated his dissatisfaction with the punishment, saying that steps will be taken to seek its enhancement after discussions with the public prosecutor.
Dr Das' mother said that the family can only wish for the maximum punishment and it was up to the court to decide what sentence should be given. She said that the family will go in appeal, but declined to comment on whether her daughter got justice.
She tearfully said that she wants the convict to suffer the same pain that her daughter underwent "as he stabbed her 27 times".
The court on March 17 had convicted Sandeep for various offences under the IPC, including murder, destruction of evidence and wrongful restraint.
It had also held him guilty under the provisions of the Kerala Healthcare Service Persons and Healthcare Service Institutions (Prevention of violence and damage to property) Act 2012.
Sandeep was brought to the taluk hospital by the police for medical treatment during the small hours of May 10, 2023 and he went on a sudden attacking spree using a pair of surgical scissors kept in the room where his leg injury was being dressed.
A school teacher by profession, he had initially attacked the police officers and another person who had accompanied him to the hospital and then turned on the young Dr Das, who could not escape to safety.
She was stabbed several times and later succumbed to her injuries in a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram where she was rushed following the attack.
Dr Das was a native of the Kaduthuruthy area of Kottayam district and the only child of her parents.
She was a house surgeon at Azeezia Medical College Hospital and was working at the Kottarakkara taluk hospital as part of her training.
Sandeep had called the emergency number 112, claiming that his life was in danger. When local police located him, he was standing close by his home, surrounded by local residents and his relatives, and had a wound on his leg following an alleged quarrel.
He was then taken to the hospital for dressing the wound.
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