C M Y K RNI Regn. No. MPENG/2004/13703, Regd. No. L-2/BPLON/41/2006-2008 R is State Pollution Control Board Chairman, came to the iming to please various ime is fast running out for Speaker’s office about 4 pm and Asections of society, the Tthe HD Kumaraswamy handed over resignations in Congress Government in O Government in Karnataka with their official letterhead to him. Madhya Pradesh presented its more MLAs jumping off the Senior advocate Mukul maiden Budget of 2.33 lakh sinking ship on Wednesday Rohatgi, appearing for the rebel crore on Wednesday. It has pro- and the Mumbai Police not MLAs, said these lawmakers posed to allocate 132 crore for allowing Congress main trou- have already resigned from the welfare of bovines and bleshooter DK Shivakumar to their membership of the hiked grant to the state Waqf even meet the rebel MLAs in Assembly and wanted to con- Board and Haj committee. their luxury hotel. test fresh elections. Presenting first full-time government alleging less allo- waived off and in second phase, The rebel camp, backed He sought the hearing budget of the Congress, back in cation of funds to MP in union 8,000 cr have been provi- allegedly by the BJP, either on Wednesday or power after a gap of 15 years, budget had put additional 2 sioned for the same. About approached the Supreme Court Thursday on the plea in which Finance minister Tarun Bhanot each cess on petrol and diesel 1,000 cr have been provi- on Wednesday and moved a it has been alleged that the did not announce any tax or recently. sioned for capitalisation of co- petition signed by 10 Congress Speaker had acted in a partisan cess. The budget, presented by operative banks in the budget. and JD(S) MLAs accusing the and malafide manner and “We would raise revenue Finance Minister Tarun "A provision has been Karnataka Assembly Speaker of deliberately not accepting their from revised tax structure in Bhanot, also proposed a three- made to generate employment deliberately not accepting their resignations. mining, excise and transport fold hike in the honorarium for for youths under which the skill resignations. In the petition, the 10 rebel sector,” said the minister. the priests working in the reg- training programme would be A Bench of Chief Justice MLAs alleged that the Speaker The opposition though did istered temples. The minister given an impetus. Ranjan Gogoi and Justices was protecting the object to state government’s said a budgetary allocation of "Besides, the grants for the Deepak Gupta and Aniruddha Government which is in move of announcing imposi- 8,000 crore has been made to Madhya Pradesh Waqf Board Bose would decide on minority now. The MLAs fur- tion of cess on petrol and waive remaining loans of the and the Haj committee have Thursday whether their plea ther sought a direction that the diesel despite the fact the farmers in the state. been hiked. More than 821 seeking direction for the Speaker be restrained from assembly session was notified Amid ruckus from the crore has been earmarked for Speaker to accept the resigna- proceeding with the application by then and first the same opposition, the minister the OBC and Minorities tion of these MLAs could be for their disqualification. should have been announced in announced that farm loans of Department," Bhanot said. listed for urgent hearing. “Acting in a concerted the House. The Kamal Nath 20 lakh farmers have been Continued on Page 4 Dashing the faintest hope manner, the Congress has filed beleaguered Chief Minister a petition before the Speaker Kumaraswamy might have har- seeking disqualification of the boured for survival, Housing MLAs who have resigned. Minister MTB Nagaraj and K Needless to state, the disqual- Sudhakar, both from the ification proceedings are com- Congress, tendered their res- pletely illegal and without any ignation to Assembly Speaker cause of action,” they said. Ramesh Kumar. In the petition, the MLAs With the two latest resig- stated that the Assembly nations, 16 MLAs — 13 from Session is to begin from July 12, R earlier too to make it as fool- the Congress and 3 from the the same day that the MLAs proof as possible. JD(S) — have quit while two have been asked to remain in Addressing the media after Independent MLAs — H person before the Speaker, QR the Cabinet meeting, Union Nagesh and R Shanker — have which showed the “intent of the Environment and Information already withdrawn support. Speaker to disqualify the peti- hotel had written to Mumbai release from his detention that and Broadcasting Minister The coalition’s strength is 116 tioners in a prejudged manner”. Police chief saying they feared “all our MLAs will back and o combat rising cases of Prakash Javadekar said the (Congress-78, JD(S)-37 and “The whole idea is to dis- he political crisis faced by threat to their life due to his our Government is safe.” Tchild sex abuse, the Union amendment in the POCSO BSP-1), besides the Speaker. qualify the petitioners and Tthe ruling Congress-JD (S) arrival there. Shivkumar, who was to be Cabinet on Wednesday Act will make punishment With the support of the under threat of disqualification Government in Karnataka The operative part of the deported back to Bengaluru approved amendments to more stringent for committing two Independents, who quit allow the minority spilled on to Mumbai and letter written by the 10 late in the night by the Mumbai strengthen the Protection of sexual crimes against children the Government on Monday, Government to function with- snowballed into a high-voltage Congress MLAs to the Mumbai Police, said that though he Children from Sexual Offences including death penalty. The the BJP has 107 MLAs in the out the support of majority in drama on Wednesday as the Police Commissioner read wanted to stay back in Mumbai (POCSO) Act 2012 which modification in the law will 224-member House, where the the House. It is submitted that city police detained visiting thus: “…We have heard that to meet Congress leaders and would now have death penal- address the need for stringent halfway mark is 113. If the res- the actions of the Speaker are Congress Minister DK DK Shivkumar and others are take them back to Bengaluru ty for aggravated penetrative measures against rising trend of ignation of the 16 MLAs is arbitrary and unreasonable and Shivkumar and his party’s lead- going to storm in the hotel irrespective of the conse- sexual assault against children. child sex abuse and combat the accepted, the coalition tally violative of the Constitution,” ers from Mumbai for refusing premises (sic). We feel threat- quences, but he was persuad- To curb child pornography, menace of relatively new kind O will come down to 100. the plea said. to move away from a Mumbai ened for the same (sic). We do ed by the police officials saying the amendment levies heavy of crimes, the Government After tendering his resig- The MLAs further said hotel where rebel Karnataka not want to meet him. Kind that his continued stay in fine for not deleting and said, stressing that the nation, Nagaraj told reporters, their resignations were in con- MLAs are staying. request to us help us in the mat- Mumbai would destroying child porno- strong penal provisions “I don’t want any ministerial sonance with the rules and the Shivkumar, who has han- ter and do not allow him to result in law and order prob- graphic material. Not will act as a deterrent. position or anything. I am fed provisions of the Constitution. dled this kind of political crises enter the hotel premises”. lem. reporting child pornog- “It intends to protect the up with politics.” “The objection is clearly not in the past, arrived at the The day-long drama, Talking to mediapersons raphy will also invite a hefty interest of vulnerable chil- Nagaraj and Sudhakar, who warranted and appears to be an Renaissance Hotel at Powai in which began with Shivkumar after his release from detention, fine. The Government has dren in times of distress and exercise to delay the proceed- north-west Mumbai at 8.15 being detained from near the Shivkumar said, “I am still claimed that this move will not ensures their safety and digni- ings, thereby giving room for am. Despite the fact that he had Renaissance-Mumbai confident that all of them (rebel only discourage the trend of ty. The amendment is aimed to the ruling dispensation to exert reserved a room at the hotel, he Convention Centre Hotel after Congress MLAs staying put in child abuse but will also protect establish clarity regarding the pressure on the MLAs who was prevented from entering he refused to leave the place till Mumbai) will come back. The the interest of vulnerable aspects of child have tendered resignations,” the hotel by the Mumbai Police he met his party’s rebel MLAs Congress-JD(S) Government minors in times of distress. abuse and punishment thereof,” the plea said. officials who told him that the lodged at the hotel, ended with which is there in Karnataka will Brought in 2012, the the Government Related reports on P9 Congress MLAs staying the his assertion made after his be safe”. POCSO has been modified release said. R inds of political insta- Wbility in neighbouring Karnataka reached Goa on Wednesday, with two-thirds (10 out of 15) of Congress MLAs breaking away to development of Amethi will merge with the ruling BJP in not be hampered. I am the MP the coastal State.