JD(S) here to stay and will strive to come to power on own: Deve Gowda
Bengaluru: Rejecting speculation about his party's merger with the BJP, former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda on Saturday asserted JD(S) was here to stay and would strive to come to power on its own in the 2023 assembly polls.
He also hit out at the Congress for questioning his secular credentials and blamed it for the collapse of the JDS-Congress government in Karnataka and leveled allegations against the party.
Breaking his silence on rumors about the merger with the saffron party, which he termed as an "entertainment program", the JD(S) patriarch said, with his clarification, the speculation should end.
"Since the last three months several things have been said about our party, it can be called an entertainment program.JD(S) is a regional party and the pain behind saving and building a regional party will only be known to its workers, office bearers, and its head," Gowda told reporters.
Claiming that political leaders were speaking about JD(S) irrelevance, the 87-year-old leader said no one can shake or remove his party so easily.
"It is not just Deve Gowda and his son, there are people to save this party not only during my lifetime but even after me," he added.
Amid rumors of a possible merger, JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy, also Gowda's son, and Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa had last week issued separate statements, dismissing it as far from the truth.
There has been speculation for some months now about the merger, with Kumaraswamy twice meeting Yediyurappa personally at his official residence and JD(S)' alleged softening of stand towards the ruling BJP in the state.
Also, JD(S) extending its support for the passage of the contentious land reforms bill in the Legislative Council after initially opposing it, and support to BJP in its no-confidence motion against the Council Chairman did add to the speculation.
To a specific question on the merger, Gowda said "Which astrologer has said it? ..these are childish talks...I was a former Prime Minister. Will I take my party to someone's doorsteps?"
Asked about the 2023 elections, Gowda said the JD(S) was working towards coming to power on its own.
"Congress is a big party and they have the strength to bring the party to power. I'm not saying we have that strength, but we will strive for it, and will not sit quietly.
There is no question.. we will fight to come to power.," he said.
Gowda hit out at the Congress party during the press conference.
"I can speak a lot about Congress.." he said, as he noted that he too was a Congressman in the past.
Stating that he had not gone to anyone's door asking for his son Kumaraswamy to be made the Chief Minister after the 2018 assembly polls, he said "I invited all the secular leaders of the country for swearing-in of (Congress-JDS government)-why? To give strength to the Congress that had lost strength in 18-20 states...Who destroyed it?"
Gowda hit out at the Congress, also Siddaramaiah, for trying to test his secular credentials.
"On the issue of removing the legislative council Chairman, a former Chief Minister who is also a senior Congress leader (Siddaramaiah) by taking my name has spoken about testing my secular stand (for supporting BJP's no-confidence motion)."
He claimed Chairman K Pratapachandra Shetty was ready to resign, but the Congress party to which he belongs was not allowing him, "because they want to test Gowda's secular credentials."
Gowda accused the Congress of misleading Muslims and trying to destroy JD(S)'s secular credentials.
"....none of them (Congress leaders) had gone to Godhra (immediately after riots). These people will save Muslims! They say in Parliament proceedings that theirs is soft Hindutva. Now I don't understand soft and hard Hindutva," he said.
"Rahul Gandhi, who is projected as the future Prime Minister of the country, during the poll campaign had said Deve Gowda's party is a B-team of BJP.
This was for a former PM," he said as he hit out at the state Congress leaders asking "who made him say this? Was their intention to save JD(S) or to finish it? and what was the outcome?"
On the political slugfest between Kumaraswamy and Siddaramaiah, Gowda said he has sought to put an end to the "entertainment program" from the JD(S) side.
"Let them build their party, let us build ours."
Gowda has convened a mega meeting of the JD(S) on January 7, 2021, at Palace Grounds in Bengaluru.
"Those whore honest will come, those who arent will go. This meeting will reveal the reality," he said.
He also said the JD(S) will have a core committee in place with 8-9 leaders and discuss revamping the party after January 15, aimed at strengthening it.
"We will save and build this party, a regional party is necessary for the country".
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Ordinance issued to increase number of Supreme Court judges from 34 to 38
New Delhi (PTI): The government has promulgated an ordinance to increase the strength of the Supreme Court from the present 34 judges to 38, including the Chief Justice of India.
The law ministry notified the ordinance on Saturday, which amended the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956, to increase the sanctioned strength of the top court.
So far, the sanctioned strength of the top court was 34, including the Chief Justice of India (CJI). Now, the number of judges has been increased by four, taking the sanctioned strength to 38.
The top court will now have 37 judges, other than the CJI.
With the apex court having two vacancies at present, and the ordinance coming into force immediately, the Supreme Court Collegium will now have to recommend six names for appointment as judges in the top court.
A bill will be brought in the Monsoon Session of Parliament to convert the ordinance – an executive order – into a law passed by Parliament.
The Union Cabinet had cleared a draft bill on May 5 to increase the number of apex court judges.
The strength of the Supreme Court was last increased from 30 to 33 (excluding the CJI) in 2019.
The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, as originally enacted in 1956, put the maximum number of judges (excluding the CJI) at 10.
This number was increased to 13 by the Supreme Court (Number of Judges), Amendment Act, 1960, and to 17 by another amendment to the law.
The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Act, 1986, augmented the strength of judges from 17 to 25, excluding the CJI.
A fresh amendment in 2009 further increased the strength from 25 to 30.
Article 124(3) of the Constitution lists the qualifications required to become a Supreme Court judge.
An Indian citizen who has either served as a high court judge for at least five years, or as an advocate for 10 years, or is a distinguished jurist, can be appointed to the top court.
The strength of the Supreme Court is increased based on the recommendations of the CJI, who writes to the Union law minister. After consulting the finance ministry, the Department of Justice under the law ministry moves the Cabinet with a draft bill.
