B'lore: 'Obey Orders or Get Lost': HC Raps Govt over Medium of Instructions Case

Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore (SP)

Bangalore, Jul 4: Virtually issuing a final warning to the defiant state government that has been adamant about imposing its own language policy on the people, the state High Court (HC) in a series of strongly worded observations made on Friday July 3, warned the state government either to follow the order of the full bench of the HC issued in the past or alternatively, give up its right to govern.

Through out the hearing held in a case registered by various educational institutions including Karnataka Unaided Schools Managements Association (KUSMA) and Maruti Education Trust, the division bench of the High Court comprising of Justice N Kumar and Justice Srinivase Gowda criticized the state government in strong terms, for failing to implement the order of the HC. "You are expected to implement the orders of the judiciary. The government is not above law. We will show you what judiciary is. The government has disrespected the judiciary and in the process, betrayed the democracy," the bench observed. The government's job is not limited to delivering speeches. Power is like a bubble, it can burst any time. Non-implementation of the court orders tantamount to shaking the very roots of judiciary and the system, the court said.

"Decent people can be advised in a decent way. If they do not have decency, we will have to assert ourselves in a fitting manner," the judges stated. Not respecting the orders of the judiciary results in mockery of the judicial system and cheating the public, it commented, while taking the government to task severely.

"It has been a year since the High Court issued the order. What has the government done? It is not proper on the part of the government to just say that it has filed an appeal in the Supreme Court. The case should not be dragged endlessly. Thousands of such appeals are pending consideration. You are not considering the serious implications of not obeying the court orders. If the Supreme Court has not stayed the operation of the full bench order, the previous order has to be implemented. We do not want your reasons. The sky will not fall if you implement the previous order. In future, if you can always bring new laws in tune with the revised orders,” the bench observed.

The advocate general in his argument, said that an appeal had been filed in the Supreme Court, questioning the full bench verdict of the High Court and sought time till Wednesday to make the court known of the stand of the state government.  The bench said it would pass orders after the government declares its stand, and posted the hearing to July 8.

A bench of the HC in the meanwhile, dismissed a defamation case filed against primary and secondary education minister Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri relating to the medium of instructions issue.  Justice Manjula Chellur, who heard a petition filed by M S Khan of Modern Education Trust, Ejipura in the city, alleging that the minister failed to execute the 2008 order of the High Court and that he has been issuing defiant statements, passed this order. The bench opined that that the bench would not like to interfere in the issues relating to the executive and cases like these.