Pro-Kannada organisations withdraw tomorrow's Karnataka bandh
Bengaluru, Dec 30: Mindful about its impact amid divide within and lack of support, pro-Kannada organisations on Thursday withdrew the Karnataka bandh, called by them on December 31, demanding a complete ban on the activities of the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samithi (MES) which has been campaigning for long to merge Marathi speaking regions in Belagavi with Maharashtra.
Leaders of several Kannada outfits under the leadership of Vatal Nagaraj, the leader of the Kannada Okkuta, met Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai this evening, ahead of withdrawing the bandh.
The organisations will however be staging a protest rally demanding MES ban at the city's town hall at 10:30 AM on Friday. A similar protest was held by the Karnataka Rakshna Vedike today.
"Heeding the request of the Chief Minister and several of our pro-Kannada leaders, I have conceded. There will be no bandh tomorrow, we have withdrawn the bandh, but we may hold some protests," Nagaraj told reporters after meeting with the CM.
"The CM has assured that his government will do everything possible honestly in accordance with law to ban MES and requested us to withdraw the bandh. Also earlier in the day leaders of several organisations put pressure on me to postpone the bandh citing the inconvenience it may cause to the people and business ahead of New Year," he said.
Chief Minister Bommai said he has discussed all issues with Nagaraj and others and every one is on one page to protect the interest of Kannada, Kannadigas and Karnataka, and thanked the organisations for withdrawing the bandh call.
To a question on their demand for banning MES, he said, "all those things have been discussed, I have already stated publicly that the government is examining it legally. I have brought the same to their notice."
However, another prominent leader of Kannada Okkuta, Sa Ra Govindu clarified that only tomorrow's bandh has been called off, and that they will call for a meeting and decide further action, in case their demand for banning MES is not met in the days to come.
"We have not set any deadline to the CM, he has sought time to talk to experts, so we have postponed the bandh to another day, we will decide our future course, by calling a meeting of all Kannada organisations," he added.
Another leader hinted that they may wait and call for bandh on January 22, if their demands are not met by then.
Pro-Kannada organisations had last week called for a day-long state wide bandh on December 31, demanding a complete ban on the activities of Maharashtra Ekikaran Samithi in the state over its repeated involvement in "anti-Karnataka and anti-Kannada activities".
The demand follows the recent incidents of burning of the Kannada flag in Maharashtra's Kolhapur and defacement of the statue of historical icon Sangolli Rayanna in Belagavi, allegedly by MES activists.
The MES, a Marathi outfit, has been campaigning for long to merge Marathi speaking regions in Belagavi with Maharashtra.
However, several organisations like the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC), Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV), Bruhat Bangalore Hotels Association, Auto, schools and college associations, shopping malls association and several other commercial establishments had offered only moral support and said they will not participate in the bandh and will function as usual.
Business establishments had cited New Year brisk business for not physically supporting the bandh call.
At the last moment today, even those who were supporting Nagaraj in his call for bandh, like Karnataka Rakshana Vedike Praveen Shetty faction among others, made a u-turn and requested him to call off the bandh.
ಮುಖ್ಯಮಂತ್ರಿ @BSBommai ಅವರು ವಿವಿಧ ಕನ್ನಡಪರ ಸಂಘಟನೆಗಳ ಮುಖಂಡರೊಂದಿಗೆ ಇಂದು ಮಾತುಕತೆ ನಡೆಸಿ, ಡಿಸೆಂಬರ್ 31ರಂದು ಕರೆ ನೀಡಿರುವ ಬಂದ್ ಹಿಂಪಡೆಯುವಂತೆ ಮನವೊಲಿಸಿದರು.
— CM of Karnataka (@CMofKarnataka) December 30, 2021
ಮಾಜಿ ಶಾಸಕ ವಾಟಾಳ್ ನಾಗರಾಜ್, ಪ್ರವೀಣ್ ಶೆಟ್ಟಿ, ಸಾ.ರಾ. ಗೋವಿಂದ್ ಮತ್ತಿತರರು ಉಪಸ್ಥಿತರಿದ್ದರು. pic.twitter.com/yQmjnHsdkl
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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.
