Archives for July 2019

Ramesh Kumar, who disqualified 17 MLAs, announced his resignation on the floor of the House on monday 29th july 2019

 BJP Virajpet MLA K.G. Bopaiah

Bengaluru: Four-time BJP MLA K.G. Bopaiah, who invited the Supreme Court’s wrath on grounds that he acted in “hot hate” while disqualifying 11 party legislators and five independents during his controversial tenure as Speaker in 2010, has emerged as the ruling party’s choice to fill the vacancy caused by Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar’s resignation, on Monday.

Mr Ramesh Kumar, who disqualified 17 MLAs, announced his resignation on the floor of the House on monday When the House reconvened, deputy speaker Krishna Reddy announced that as per the Governor’s order, the Speaker’s election would be held on Wednesday.  

Sources in BJP said four candidates – K.G. Bopaiah, Jagadish Shettar, Suresh Kumar and Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri – were considered by top leaders. They were keen on Shettar. He, however, expressed his reluctance to occupy the post on grounds that he is keen to join the cabinet. Therefore, the leaders picked Mr Bopaiah.

Sources said Mr Bopaiah will file papers Tuesday  and an election will be held on Wednesday, in case Congress and JD(S) decided to field a candidate. In May 2018, Mr Bopaiah was appointed pro-tem Speaker. He conducted the floor test for Mr Yeddyurappa on the directions of the SC.

Popularly known as the Coffee King of India, VG Siddhartha, in his letter, blamed one of his private equity partners for ‘creating pressure’ to buy back stocks

Hours after VG Siddhartha, the owner of Café Coffee Day and son-in-law of former Karnataka chief minister and BJP leader SM Krishna, went missing, News18 accessed a letter that he reportedly wrote to his employees.

Popularly known as the Coffee King of India, Siddhartha, in his letter, blamed one of his private equity partners for “creating pressure” to buy back stocks. “I fought for a long time but today I gave up as I could not take any more pressure from one of the private equity partners forcing me to buy back shares, a transaction, I had partially completed six months ago by borrowing a large sum of money from a friend,” he wrote.

Siddhartha had in March this year made the headlines for selling his stake in Mindtree to L&T, which then mounted the first hostile takeover in Indian IT industry.

The letter also alleged harassment by the previous DG, Income Tax. “There was a lot of harassment from the previous DG income tax attaching our shares on two separate occasions to block our Mindtree deal and then taking position of our Cafe Coffee Day shares, although the revised returns have been filed by us. This is very unfair and has led to serious liquidity crunch,” the letter read.

The Café Coffee Day owner found himself in trouble in 2017 when the Income Tax Department first raided his premises and found Rs 650 crore concealed income from the documents seized while concluding the search and seize operations.

Siddhartha went missing on Monday evening when he got off from his car near a bridge across the Nethravathi River near Mangalore, about 375km from Bengaluru, but did not return even after an hour. A panicked driver went down looking for him, but could not find him anywhere. He then alerted the family members who in turn informed the police.

The Dakshina Kannada police have launched a massive search for him. According to his driver, Siddhartha was talking to someone on his mobile phone when he got off from the car near Kotekar.

Meanwhile, the letter also goes onto apologise to its employees. “I have failed to create the right profitable business model despite my best efforts… My intention was never to cheat anybody. I have failed as an entrepreneur. This is my sincere submission, I hope someday you will understand, forgive and pardon me,” read the letter.

Justifying his financials, Siddhartha also wrote, “I have enclosed a list of our assets and tentative value of each asset. As seen below our assets outweigh our liabilities and help repay everybody.”

parmesh jain

Karnataka Chief Minister,BS Yediyurappa wins trust vote in assembly,Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar resigns:

Highlights :
* BS Yediyurappa said he would not indulge in “politics of vengeance”as he believed in the “forget and forgive principle”.
* Ahead of the trust vote,BS Yediyurappa  who is becoming Chief Minister for the fourth time said he was given the chance to be back in this seat for a special reason. If you think that we took a decision that will affect the people in a bad way,you can reach out to us,he added. 
* The 76-year-old had started the day with prayers at a temple in Bengaluru.
* Sometimes we have had to take some harsh decision,we are small people.We should try and not disrespect the chair that we sit on.People come and go,Chief Ministers come and go,be good and do good,Speaker KR Ramesh said before he resigned.
* All that has happened with the rebels,with power all this will go down in history.The rebels have been brought to the streets.They had special flight last time,(this time) I hear that they are getting normal flights,HD Kumaraswamy said.
* BS Yediyurappa’s one-line motion that said the House expresses confidence in the ministry headed by him was passed with a voice vote.He said the administrative machinery had collapsed and his priority was to bring it back on track.
* Yesterday,Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar disqualified 11 rebel lawmakers of the Congress and three from HD Kumaraswamy’s Janata Dal Secular.The move brought down the strength of the House to 208,and the majority mark to 105 a number within the BJP’s reach.
* BS Yediyurappa later said he was confident of proving majority in the house. On Monday,I will prove my majority 100%,” he told reporters in Bengaluru.
* All the lawmakers have been disqualified from the assembly till the end of its term, which calls for by-elections in all 16 constituencies.The disqualified lawmakers said they would challenge the Speaker’s decision in the Supreme Court today.
* Five of rebels,along with an Independent lawmaker,returned to Bengaluru from Mumbai this morning.Independent Nagesh said he would vote for BS Yediyurappa.
* The first test of strength took place last week after 13 lawmakers of the Congress and three from the JD(S) resigned and two Independent lawmakers who were supporting the government switched sides earlier this month. The coalition could scrape up only 99 votes against the BJP’s 105.
* The BJP moved swiftly after the Speaker disqualified three lawmakers on Thursday, staking claim to form government and pushing for a trust vote today. State BJP chief BS Yediyurappa (who also changed his name), took charge of the government as the Chief Minister for the fourth time on Friday.

The Government of BS Yeddyurappa sailed through the trust vote in the Karnataka assembly today as the majority mark slid to 105 after the disqualification of 16 rebel lawmakers of the earlier Congress-Janata Dal Secular coalition.
 The BJP came to power in the state after the Congress and the Janata Dal Secular coalition crashed in the trust vote held last week after 16 rebels quit and two Independent lawmakers switched sides.  
Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Monday won a confidence motion he moved in a special Assembly session to prove his government’s majority.He won the floor test through a voice vote.
Yediyurappa,who took oath as Chief minister on Friday, said the administrative machinery under the previous government had collapsed and he would prioritise bringing it back.
KR Ramesh Kumar Assembly Speaker Defending his decision to disqualify 17 rebel MLAS,who quit as Assembly Speaker Monday,rued that the 10th Schedule of the Constitution dealing with the anti-defection law failed to achieve the intended goals and stressed for a relook into it.Kumar, whose tenure as Speaker spanned for 14 months and four days, said electoral reforms were the need of the hour.The root cause of corruption in public life in the country is electoral system.There is a need for electoral reforms.Speaking about eradicating corruption without electoral reforms will only be a hollow intellectual talk without any commitment.He delivered his final speech in the assembly as Speaker after the three-day old BJP government headed by BS Yediyurappa proved its majority in the truncated state Assembly winning the confidence motion by a voice vote.He announced his resignation, amid reports that the BJP was mulling moving a no-confidence motion against him.He insisted that the House should pressure the Centre to initiate measures for electoral reforms.He requested assemblies of all state governments to pass resolutions and build pressure on the Centre to strengthen the anti-defection law.His appeal came against the backdrop of 17 MLAs of the ruling coalition of Congress and the JD(S) tendering their resignation,leading to political turmoil and culminating in its collapse.Treating their conduct questionable,Kumar disqualified them ahead of the trust vote sought by Yediyurappa.On the occasion,he urged political parties to behave in a mannerthat democratic values are not diminished.In this regard, he asked politicians to never advance their personal and family interest and destroy the political parties they belong to.Kumar cautioned Yediyurappa to be careful with people surrounding him and reminded him that he got the second chance for a reason which he should use to leave an indelible mark on the people of the state.He also sought a relook at the Representation of the People Act and the Lokayukta Act.On the Lokayukta Act, Kumar wondered why there was no clause to explain what would happen if a public servant refused to provide details of assets and liabilities.Further he sought to know why the election commission never orders an inquiry when someone declares massive assets to find out where the money came from.Once the affidavit is filed,it should be sent to the Enforcement Directorate and an inquiry should happen. Every detail should be laid bare before the people.Then only the democracy will survive in this country.Then only,it will give relief to the citizens of this country,finally Assembly Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar resigned from his post following the trust vote,saying he had tried to maintain the dignity of office to the best of my ability. Kumar announced his resignation soon after Yediyurappa won the one-line confidence motion and the House passed the Appropriation Bill. He submitted his resignation to Deputy Speaker Krishna Reddy.
A day ahead of the trust vote, the speaker had disqualified 14 MLAs,11 from Congress and three from Janata Dal (Secular) till the end of the current session in 2023.This brought the total number of MLAs who had been disqualified to 17. After the disqualifications,the strength of the House is 208.The BJP has 105 MLAs, just enough to have a majority.
I ran government for 14 months,former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy as saying before the trust vote.I have no obligation to answer your Yediyurappa’s questions.I need to answer to my conscience.From past 14 months,everything was being recorded.There are people sitting on my side today,in an attempt to sway them,I request you to not bring them to the streets next.He said his party would not try to bring down the number of MLAs that the BJP has on its side and would cooperate with the government for the sake of people and he said to continue with the debt relief Act which was passed for the poor people he added.
Ahead of the confidence motion,Congress leader Siddaramaiah claimed that the Yediyurappa-led government was unconstitutional and immoral and did not have the mandate of the people.Where is the mandate in your favour? he asked. Where is the majority? Yediyurappa has become the Chief Minister with just 105 members.Let us see how long you will be the Chief Minister.I want you to be Chief Minister for the full term but I do not think you will be able to complete it the term.Continuing his criticism of the Chief Minister after the floor test,Siddaramaiah said the BJP government would not last the full term as it was dependent on those who had lost their morals.When BS Yediyurappa took the oath,halfway mark was 111 but how on earth did they show numbers to the governor?the Congress leader tweeted.BS Yediyurappa has taken oath for four times but he lacked numbers in all instances.He is like a ‘crony capitalist’ who manufacturers numbers in a way that is harmful for a democratic nation.The Congress leader thanked the Speaker, saying “his honest decisions has set an example in the country showing how a speaker should conduct himself.
The state Congress unit also lashed out at Yediyurappa,alleging that his expertise in horse-trading and resort politics had made him the Chief Minister.Operation Kamala may have won him the trust vote today, but he does not have the trust of the people of Karnataka,” the party added.
Yediyurappa also addressed the House before the floor test, saying that when Siddaramaiah or Kumaraswamy were Chief Minister the BJP did not indulge in vindictive politics.Administration has failed and we’ll set it right,the chief minister said. I assure the House that we won’t indulge in vindictive politics either.I believe in forget and forgive.He also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi,Union Home Minister Amit Shah,and BJP Working President JP Nadda.
After the trust vote, the Assembly passed the Finance Bill (Appropriation Bill), seeking a vote on account for three months.Yediyurappa said that the bill needed to be passed urgently as it would have been difficult to even pay salaries of government employees had it remained stuck.
Two rebel Karnataka Congress leaders on Monday moved the Supreme Court:
Seeking quashing of Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar’s decision to disqualify them from the Assembly.Kumar, meanwhile, announced his resignation soon after newly appointed Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa won the confidence motion by a voice vote.
Seeking quashing of the July 25 order of the Speaker, which said the MLAs have incurred disqualification in terms of the tenth schedule of the Constitution (anti-defection law),Rebel Congress leaders Ramesh Jharkhiholi and Mahesh Kumathalli described the decision taken by Kumar as illegal,arbitrary and mala fide exercise of his power.
Advocate Shubranshu Padhi, who had filed the petition on behalf of the disqualified MLAs, told media persons that a second petition by independent MLA R Shanker, who was also disqualified, is likely to be filed on Tuesday.Senior lawyer Mukul Rohatgi is likely to mention the plea moved by Jharkhiholi and Kumathalli for early hearing.
Karnataka assembly session adjourned:
The Karnataka assembly session, which witnessed Chief Minister Yediyurappa winning the trust vote, has been adjourned till 12 noon on Tuesday. The new Speaker will be nominated on Tuesday.
One stage is over, BJP has won the floor test.Next course is cabinet expansion.Our senior leaders both at the state and the Centre will sit together and decide on it at the earliest,senior BJP leader and MLA Suresh Kumar said.Speaking to reporters here, he said,I think it should be over by this weekend.Yediyurappa alone was sworn in as Chief Minister on Friday,three days after the collapse of the Congress-JDS coalition ministry following rebellion by a section of the ruling combine MLAs.The appointment of new Speaker will be decided in a day or two as the post cannot be kept vacant,Suresh Kumar, who is also the BJP spokesperson said. He, however, brushed aside speculations of him being considered for the job,stating that no body has spoken to me about that he added.
BJP MLA KG Bopaiah likely to apply for Speaker post:
Since KR Ramesh Kumar resigned as the Karnataka Speaker, BJP MLA KG Bopaiah, according to the reports, is likely to file a nomination on Tuesday for the Speaker’s post. KG Boaiah has been the Karnataka Speaker earlier.

Yediyurappa’s government has replaced the 14-month-old government of the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) alliance,which collapsed last week.In a trust vote earlier called by former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, 99 MLAs voted for the coalition while the Bharatiya Janata Party secured 105 votes. Kumaraswamy resigned after the floor test concluded.
Seventeen rebel MLAs (Congress-14 and JDS-3) had skipped the Assembly session during the trust vote proceedings on July 23, bringing down the Kumaraswamy government which lost the confidence motion with 99 members voting in favour and 105 against it.