SOURCE :- SIASAT NEWS
Bengaluru: A delegation of the Karnataka BJP has petitioned Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot, seeking strict constitutional and legal action against Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and other ruling party leaders over what it alleged was the forced resignation of Legislative Council Chairman Basavaraj Horatti.
The BJP delegation met the Governor at Raj Bhavan on Sunday, August 9, and alleged that democratic institutions and constitutional values had been undermined in Karnataka.
It claimed that Shivakumar, along with KPCC president B.K. Hariprasad, Legislative Council members Saleem Ahmed, S. Ravi and others, visited Horatti’s official chamber and exerted intense political pressure on him for more than 90 minutes.
According to the delegation, Horatti had indicated that he would resign on August 14 after completing certain proceedings in the Legislative Council. However, the BJP alleged that he was pressured to submit his resignation earlier.
The delegation further claimed that officials attached to the Chairman’s office were instructed to bring his official letterhead, on which the resignation letter was allegedly prepared before Horatti was made to sign it.
‘Attack on dignity, independence of legislature’
The BJP described the alleged incident as an attack on the dignity and independence of the legislature. It urged the Governor to examine the circumstances surrounding Horatti’s resignation and reject it if it was found to have been obtained through coercion or undue pressure.
The delegation also sought a constitutional and legal inquiry into the conduct of the Chief Minister and other leaders named in its complaint.
The BJP appealed to the Governor to exercise his constitutional powers to protect the autonomy of the legislature and uphold the rule of law. It alleged that allowing such an incident to go unexamined would set a serious precedent for the functioning of democratic institutions in the state.
The Governor’s response to the representation is being keenly watched amid the ongoing political dispute over the leadership of the Legislative Council.
SOURCE : SIASAT
