HC dismisses PIL seeking Governor’s nod for prosecution against CM Siddaramaiah in Mining case
Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that sought directions to the Governor to grant sanction for prosecution against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah under the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act in connection with alleged illegal grant and renewal of mining leases.
The petition had been filed by Bengaluru-based businessman M.P. Venugopal and came up before a division bench comprising Chief Justice Prasanna B. Varale (Correction: please confirm, original says Vibhu Bakhru) and Justice C.M. Joshi on Thursday.
When the case was called twice, the petitioner’s counsel failed to appear before the bench. Taking note of this and citing non-compliance with legal procedure, the court dismissed the petition.
The PIL had demanded that the Governor be directed to approve prosecution against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah under the PC Act. It further sought a direction for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to conduct an independent probe into the alleged illegal renewal of mining leases, and for the Lokayukta to submit a report on the matter.
The petitioner had also asked the court to cancel mining leases granted to Ramgad Minerals and Mining Pvt. Ltd. and Veerabhadrappa Sangappa & Co., declaring all such leases illegal. Additionally, it called for recovery of alleged financial losses from those who benefitted from illegal mining contracts.
Apart from Siddaramaiah, the petition had also named former Secretary of the Commerce and Industries Department Tushar Girinath, along with several private mining companies, as respondents.
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PM Modi, myself don't have 'wife issue': Rahul Gandhi
New Delhi (PTI): In a friendly banter, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Friday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and he didn’t have "the wife issue", as the Congress MP emphasised that everyone has learnt from women in their lives.
Participating in a debate in the Lok Sabha on the three bills introduced for amendments to the women's quota law and setting up a delimitation commission, Gandhi said women are a driving force in the national imagination and national perspective.
"All of us in this room have been influenced, taught, and have learnt a lot from women in our lives – from mothers, sisters, wives," Gandhi said.
"Of course, the prime minister and myself don't have the wife issue, so we don't get that input, but we have our mothers and sisters," he said while referring to Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju's light-hearted remark that he got a scolding at home as he did not pen a poem for his wife like Union minister Arjun Ram Meghwal did.
Gandhi also lauded his sister and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi's speech in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.
"Yesterday, I was watching my sister achieve in five minutes what I have not been able to do in 20 years of my political career – make Amit Shah Ji smile," Gandhi said to peals of laughter.
