News and pics: Mounesh Vishwakarma

Daijiworld Media Network – Bantwal (EP)

Bantwal, Feb 27: “The two member bench of the state high court has sent a notice to eleven parliamentary secretaries and the state government for appointments against the constitution,” said Karnataka Janatha Paksha state president Padmanabha Prasanna Kumar.

Speaking to reporters at B C Road Press Club on Friday February 26 evening, he alleged that farmers suicides are happening in the state without a break and the farmers community is migrating. “But the government is acting as if it is not interested. Meanwhile it is looting the treasury by the unconstitutional appointment of eleven parliamentary secretaries. KJP had filed a public interest petition at the high court requesting it to cancel these appointments. The high court bench of Ravimali Mutt and Subrathrao Mukherjee has sent notices to eleven parliamentary secretaries who are also MLAs. The court will pronounce its final verdict next week,” he said.

“Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in order to pacify MLAs who were deprived of minister’s post during the expansion of the cabinet had appointed eleven MLAs as parliamentary secretaries and provided them the status of cabinet rank. As per the Constitution of India rule 164-1-A, only 15 people can be made ministers. However, as the chief minister appointed eleven MLAs as parliamentary secretaries outside the
constitution, the sword of the high court is hanging on them,” he said.

“Earlier when West Bengal chief minister Mamatha Banerjee had appointed 24 parliamentary secretaries in her cabinet, the Calcutta high court had declared the appointments as unconstitutional and cancelled them. KJP has gone to the high court in Karnataka based on the verdict. The Karnataka chief minister should cancel the appointment and come to the rescue of farmers who are in distress,” he urged.

Anguish against HDK: Lashing at former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy relating to chief minister’s wrist watch incident, he said that Kumaraswamy had bought Rs 2.5 crore worth diamond necklace and crores worth land for Bantwal taluk origin film actor Radhika. “Kumaraswamy has dealt through the back door with MLA Ashok Kheni relating to Nice road. However Siddaramaiah is not clean. I am not justifying the wrist watch incident. Kumaraswamy instead of going for straight politics, leaving Bandicoot in his plate is showing a fly in the plate for others,” he said taunted.

KJP state secretary N Rajanna, Dakshina Kannada district youth unit president Mohan Chandra and state youth unit chief secretary Faizul were present.