Karnataka HC stays proceedings in case against BJP MLA Harish Poonja for his remarks on Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru, Jun 9: The High Court of Karnataka on Friday granted an interim stay on the proceedings in a case against Belthangady BJP MLA Harish Poonja for allegedly making objectionable remarks against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
The case against Poonja was registered at Belthangady police station over his comments made during his poll victory speech in May claiming that Siddaramaiah had "got 24 Hindu activists killed" during the Congress rule between 2013-18..
Justice M Nagaprasanna granted the stay on a petition by Poonja.
Belthangady Mahila Congress president Namitha K Poojary had lodged a complaint against Poonja over his speech..
The police registered a FIR under Sections 153, 153(A), 505(1)(b), 505(1)(c) and 505(2).
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The petition by Poonja stated that the registration of FIR by police after a complaint by a local Congress leader was politically motivated and it was being used as a tool to harass him.
"The petitioner is accused for having committed the offence of causing criminal intimidation and wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot and promoting disharmony among two different religions. But the investigation agency has not done any primary investigation to ascertain whether such provisions are really applicable against the petitioner herein as with no time they have registered the FIR," the petition said.
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Why remove Mahatma Gandhi's name, asks Priyanka on move to replace MGNREGA
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday slammed the government over its move to change the name of MGNREGA, asking what is the government's intention behind removing the name of Mahatma Gandhi who is the tallest leader not just in India but in the world.
A bill to repeal the MGNREGA and bring a new law for rural employment -- Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, 2025 -- is set to be introduced in the Lok Sabha. According to a copy of the bill, it seeks to introduce the VB-G RAM G Bill, 2025, in Parliament and repeal the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) of 2005.
Asked about the government's move, Priyanka Gandhi said, "Whenever the name of a scheme is changed there are so many changes that have to be made in offices, stationery... for which money is spent. So, what is the benefit, why it is being done?"
"Why is Mahatma Gandhi's name being removed. Mahatma Gandhi is considered the tallest leader not just in the country but in the world, so removing his name, I really don't understand what is the objective? What is their intention?" she told reporters in Parliament House complex.
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"Even when we are debating it is on other issues not the real issues of the people. Time is being wasted, money is being wasted, they are disrupting themselves," Priyanka Gandhi added.
The bill aims at establishing a "rural development framework aligned with the national vision of Viksit Bharat 2047", by providing a statutory guarantee of 125 days of wage employment in every financial year to every rural household whose adult members volunteer to undertake unskilled manual work.
The bill has been listed in the Lok Sabha in the supplementary list of business issued on Monday.
Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, in the statement of purpose of the Bill, said MGNREGA has provided guaranteed wage-employment to rural households over the past 20 years.
However, "further strengthening has become necessary in view of the significant socio-economic transformation witnessed in the rural landscape driven by widespread coverage of the social security interventions and saturation-oriented implementation of major government schemes", he said.
