Mandya: Former Karnataka MLA from Keragodu in Mandya district, Dr. HD Chowdaiah passed away on late Tuesday night due to age-related health issues.

The four-time MLA and one-time MLC is survived by two sons, three daughters, and a legion of friends and relatives.

Dr. Chowdaiah of Holalu village in Keragodu Taluk is hailed for his contributions in the field of Cooperation, Education, Rural Development, and Sports. 

He began serving as the Taluk Board President in 1960 and served on the board till 1968, before becoming the president of the district co-operative bank. He was been elected from the Janata party in 1978 for the Vidhana Sabha election. He contested against his political teacher K. V . Shankergowda on behalf of the Congress party and won the elections in 1983. He became an MLA once again contesting from the Congress party in 1985. He contested as an independent candidate and secured victory during the elections in 1999. Later, he was elected as a member of the Vidhana Parishad from the Congress party in 1991. The Keragodu constituency later merged with the Mandya constituency in 2008. 

Arrangements have been made in Holalu village for public viewing of the late leader’s mortal remains. The sources in the family have revealed that the final rites of the deceased will be conducted on Wednesday evening. 

Siddaramaiah expresses condolence: Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has expressed condolences on the death of Dr. Chowdaiah. 

Mandya’s senior statesman Dr. H. D. Chowdaiah’s passing is an extremely sad development. The 94-year-old elder, former MLA, and people’s statesman and politician Dr. Chowdaiah had been experiencing old-age-related issues. He was extremely pained after the demise of his wife. That pain aided in the deterioration of his health. He had let down my expectations of seeing him become a centenarian and left us. I pray to God that he grants the family and friends of the deceased strength to bear the loss of his death. 

As a former President of the PES Trust, a brave senior co-operative, Chowdaiah was the frontline leader during the Cauvery struggles. He has served as Keragode constituency MLA four times, twice as the Parishad member, and rendered a prolonged service of 31 years as the president of the prestigious PET in Mandya. Chowdaiah was the image of Mandya’s self-respecting politician. With his demise, I have lost a close aid and well-wisher, a teary Siddaramaiah expressed.

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New Delhi (PTI): Likening some unemployed youngsters to cockroaches, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant on Friday said they go on to "become" media, social media and RTI activists and start attacking the system.

The comments came while a bench of CJI Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi was pulling up a lawyer for "pursuing" a senior advocate designation. It said there were already "parasites" in society who attack the system and asked the petitioner whether he wanted to join hands with them.

"The entire world may be eligible to become senior (advocate), but at least you are not entitled," the bench told the petitioner lawyer.

A visibly anguished CJI observed that if the Delhi High Court would confer senior advocate designation upon the petitioner, the apex court would set that aside seeing his professional conduct.

The CJI also referred to the kind of language used by the petitioner on Facebook.

"There are already parasites of society who attack the system and you want to join hands with them?" he said.

"There are youngsters like cockroaches, who don't get any employment or have any place in profession. Some of them become media, some of them become social media, RTI activists and other activists and they start attacking everyone," he said.

The bench also asked the petitioner whether he did not have any other litigation.

"Is this the conduct of a person who seeks to be designated as a senior advocate?" the bench asked.

It said senior advocate designation is something that is conferred on a person and is not to be pursued.

"You are pursuing it. Does it look proper?" the top court said, asking whether a senior advocate designation was a status symbol to be kept ornamentally.

It also observed that it wanted to ask the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to verify the degrees of many of those who were wearing black robes as there were serious doubts over the genuineness of their degrees.

It said the Bar Council of India would never do anything on this issue as they "need their votes".

The petitioner apologised to the bench and sought permission to withdraw the petition. The bench allowed the withdrawal of the petition.