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Political Notes |
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JD(S)-BJP coalition wins trust vote in Karnataka
The Janata Dal (Secular)-BJP coalition in Karnataka, headed by H.D. Kumaraswamy, won a vote of confidence in the State Assembly in the early hours of Thursday, Feb. 9, after a marathon 14-hour debate. The motion was supported by 138 members while 66 opposed it. The voting showed that the coalition, which assumed office after the ouster of the Congress-JD(S) government headed by Dharam Singh, received more of votes than the combined strength of the BJP with 79 members and the JD(S) Kumaraswamy faction with 46 members. The five-member Janata Dal (United) group supported the motion.
During the debate, Kumaraswamy revealed that the BJP had sought an alliance with him ever since the 2004 Assembly elections. At that time, BJP leader Arun Jaitley had offered to help him become the Chief Minister and adopt the “Orissa model” of governance. But he spurned the offer as he was not after power. It is the Congress that had pushed him towards an alliance with the BJP. Kumaraswamy used the occasion to announce that a probe would be ordered into the land scams in the state that had occurred over the last few years.
Simultaneous Assembly polls in four states and Pondicherry
Chief Election Commissioner B.B. Tandon has said that Assembly polls will be held simultaneously in the four states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal and Assam and the Union Territory of Pondicherry. Speaking to newspersons in Thiruvananthapuram, he said the Commission had not taken any decision on the poll dates as yet.
Meanwhile, in West Bengal, Election Commission observers led by K.J. Rao continued to criticise local officials for defects in the electoral rolls. Reports filtering in from the districts said at least two dozen officials including some in senior positions, have been admonished by the observers for alleged dereliction of duty and non-cooperation.
Al Badr terrorist held in Delhi
Delhi police have arrested two young men said to be belonging to the Pakistan-based Al Badr terrorist outfit. They were allegedly smuggling in a consignment of arms and explosives from Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday, Feb. 9. Two kilograms of RDX, three detonators, two timers and two Chinese pistols were reportedly recovered from them.
Last month, intelligence agencies tipped off the special cell that some Kashmir-based militants had set up a base in the capital and Irshad Ali Aka Deepak, a resident of Sultanpuri in North-West Delhi, was part of the module.
Delhi Police on Feb. 8 filed a chargesheet against three persons, including the key accused and Lashkar-e-Taiba militant Tariq Ahmed Dar in connection with the Sarojini Nagar Market blast which claimed about 40 lives ahead of Diwali on Oct. 29 last year. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Seema Maini received the chargesheet filed by special cell of the Delhi police against Dar and two of his co-accused, Mohammed Hussain Fazili and Mohammed Rafiq Shah, in the case. The accused have been charged with murder, waging war against the Government of India, criminal conspiracy and unlawful activities.
Post-Godhra riot cases to be reopened
Gujarat police have decided to reopen 1594 post-Godhra riot cases in which people belonging to the Muslim community became the targets of rioting mobs. It has also decided that 41 police officers will face departmental inquiry for not fulfilling their responsibilities during investigation of the riot cases. This has been slated in the monthly action taken report sent to the Supreme Court by the police.
The Supreme Court had directed reinvestigation in 2020 cases of communal rioting based on a petition alleging that investigations in riot cases were closed, but proper procedures were not followed.
Subsequently, a supervisory body - riot-case review cell - was formed with senior police officials, including Gujarat DGP, as its members. This cell sends investigation reports to the apex court every month. The cops under the scanner are officers who were investigating or supervising the investigation of the riot cases.
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