Speaker Ramesh Kumar calls for reframing anti-defection law as he hears disqualification pleas
Bengaluru, Mar 25: Asserting there was ambiguity in the 10th schedule of the Constitution, referred to as the Anti-Defection Act, Karnataka assembly speaker K R Ramesh Kumar Monday emphasised upon its reframing, as he heard Congress' plea for disqualifying its four rebel MLAs.
"My whole effort is to make the lawmakers realise the ambiguity in the 10th schedule, imperfectness in the 10th schedule, infirmity in the 10th Schedule, absolute need for reframing the 10th schedule," Kumar said.
The speaker was hearing a petition filed by the Karnataka Pradesh Congress, seeking Chincholi MLA Dr Umesh Jadhav's disqualification under the Anti-Defection Law.
Jadhav is among the four Congress MLAs, including Ramesh Jarkiholi (Gokak constituency),Mahesh Kumathalli (Athani) and B Nagendra (Ballari rural),whose disqualification Congress has sought for their anti-party activities, skipping the assembly session and legislature party meetings, violating whips.
Jadhav quit Congress and joined BJP recently to contest from Gulbarga Lok Sabha seat against Congress heavyweight Mallikarjun Kharge.
Hearing Jadhav's case in an open hall, Ramesh Kumar invited voters from Chincholi to give their viewpoints on initiating the anti-defection law that can bar Jadhav from contesting election for six years.
Addressing Kumar, a voter sought to know what was the voters' fault that compelled Jadhav to ditch them.
She even compared Jadhav's shifting loyalty with a husband who quits his first wife to marry again.
"How will he compensate for the damage to those who voted for you with a belief that he will take care of our constituency? We as voters want to know why he (Jadhav) is leaving us, why is he ditching us.
Let him explain whether he has a problem with the voters," she asked.
Moved by her speech, Kumar underlined the need to reframe the tenth schedule of the Constitution, saying it did not address her point of view.
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3 Indians injured after fire breaks out in UAE's Fujairah due to drone attack
Dubai (PTI): Three Indian nationals were injured on Monday after a fire broke out on the Fujairah Petroleum Industries Zone (FOIZ) in the UAE following a drone strike originating from Iran, according to local media reports.
The relevant authorities in the eastern emirate of Fujairah confirmed that a fire has broken out in the FOIZ, resulting from a drone attack coming from Iran, the state-run WAM news agency reported.
Fujairah Civil Defence teams immediately responded to the incident and are continuing efforts to bring the fire under control, it added.
Three Indian nationals sustained moderate injuries after the fire broke out on the FOIZ, the Khaleej Times reported, quoting authorities in Fujairah.
The injured were taken to the hospital for treatment, it added.
In a post on X, the UAE's Ministry of Defence said that Iran launched four missiles toward various areas across the country. "Three were successfully engaged over the country's territorial waters, while one fell into the sea," it said.
The ministry urged the public to comply with all public safety procedures when warning messages are issued to the public.
Authorities have urged the public not to circulate rumours and to rely only on official sources for information, Gulf News reported.
