JD(S) urges Governor to withhold assent to Karnataka Hate Speech Bill
Bengaluru: A delegation of the Janata Dal (Secular) on Tuesday submitted a petition to Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, urging him to withhold assent to the Hate Speech and Hate Crimes Bill passed by the Congress government during the Winter Session of the state Legislature.
According to a report published by Deccan Herald, the delegation, led by the party’s floor leader in the Assembly C B Suresh Babu, contended that the bill, in its present form, poses a serious threat to the fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression guaranteed under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution.
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The JD(S) leaders requested the Governor to exercise his constitutional discretion and refuse approval to the bill, arguing that several provisions could be misused to curb dissent and suppress opposing views. They also flagged concerns that certain clauses may be in conflict with constitutionally guaranteed rights.
“The bill does not guarantee protection for individual dignity, which is fundamental to democratic accountability,” the petition submitted to the Governor said.
JD(S) core committee president Krishna Reddy said the proposed legislation reflected misplaced priorities of the Congress government. “Instead of addressing citizens’ problems, the government is interested in this bill that snatches the right that guarantees Freedom of Speech and Expression. We have petitioned the Governor, and in the coming days, will launch an agitation to protest the bill,” he said.
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Expelled Cong MLA Mamkootathil gets bail in sexual assault case
Pathanamthitta(Kerala) (PTI): A Kerala court on Wednesday granted bail to expelled Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil in the third sexual assault case against him, in which he was arrested earlier this month.
The bail was granted by the Pathanamthitta District Sessions Court, which was considering an appeal filed by the MLA against a judicial magistrate's court that had denied him relief, stating that the allegations against him were serious and that he had "similar antecedents".
The third sexual assault case was registered against the Palakkad MLA under Sections 376 (rape) and 506(1) (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), following a complaint lodged by a woman from Kottayam district on 8 January. He was arrested in the case on January 11 in Palakkad.
The Kerala High Court and a sessions court in Thiruvananthapuram had earlier protected the MLA from arrest in the first two sexual assault cases, which were registered based on complaints from two different women.
