"Future of Cong-JD(S) alliance to depend on Congress high command", says JD(S) supremo H D DeveGowda
Bengaluru, Jul 28: JD(S) patriarch H D DeveGowda on Sunday said the future of his party's alliance with Congress would depend on the decision of the high command of the grand old party, based on the advice of their Karnataka leadership.
The former Prime Minister also made it clear that Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah would officially be the leader of the opposition in the assembly and not his son and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy.
"Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, who has now resigned as party President- on their orders Kumaraswamy had agreed to become Chief Minister.
The future(of the alliance) will depend on whatever the high command(Congress) will decide, based on the advice of their party state leaders.
I don't want to comment on it further now," Gowda told reporters.
"Kumaraswamy is not officially the leader of the opposition.
For three years and eight months of Yediyurappa's government, Siddarmaiah will officially be the leader of the opposition...
Kumarawamy is the floor leader of a political party,"he added.
A day after the collapse of the Congress-JD(S) government in Karnataka, the coalition leadership, includingKumaraswamy on Wednesday had remained non-committal on the future of their alliance.
Karnataka Congress chief Dinesh Gundu Rao too had maintained that the alliance was decided by the high command and the state unit would follow its instructions on the matter.
Congress and JD(S), considered arch rivals, especially in old Mysuru region, had joined hands to form a coalition government after the May 2018 assembly polls threw up a hung verdict.
Both parties were routed in the recent Lok Sabha polls, winning just one seat each of total of 28 seats in the state, as grassroot level workers of both parties were not happy with the alliance.
Coalition worries and dissidence within had repeatedly threatened the government's stability and raised questions about its longevity.
The resignation of 15 MLAs 12 from the Congress and three from JD(S) and independent MLAs R Shankar and H Nagesh withdrawing their support to the coalition government, compounded matters, pushing the government to the brink.
In the trial of legislative strength after resignation of the MLAs, Kumaraswamy had garnered 99 votes against the 105by the opposition BJP, following which he resigned.
Responding to a question, Gowda said he would react to charges levelled against him and his son Kumaraswamy by rebel MLAs once they come back and 'reveal certain things."
"I will meet the press and react after that," he said.
Karnataka Assembly Speaker Ramesh Kumar on Sunday disqualified 14 more Congress-JD(S) rebel MLAs under the anti-defection law, taking the total tally of disqualified legislators to 17, which will not have any direct impact on Yediyurappa government's trust vote on Monday.
Gowda also got emotional as he pointed out that he could not give government positions to many loyal party workers, despite being in power.
"We were in difficulty... I did not give positions to Karyakartas who fought for me," he added.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Kerala court sentences man to life imprisonment for doc's murder in hospital
_vb_42.jpeg)
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.
_vb_97.jpeg)
_vb_62.jpeg)