Bengaluru: The Karnataka Legislative Assembly descended into chaos on Friday, March 21, after Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) MLAs staged a dramatic protest against the passage of the 4% Muslim Quota Bill. Opposition members climbed onto the podium and threw papers at Speaker UT Khader, forcing marshals to step in and remove them from the House.

The bill, which grants a 4% reservation to Muslims in public contracts, was passed despite the uproar, according to a report by media. The BJP strongly opposed the move, calling it “unconstitutional” and vowing to challenge it legally. Led by Opposition Leader R Ashoka, BJP legislators shouted slogans against the government, accusing it of appeasement.

Earlier, BJP MLAs staged a protest from the well of the House, demanding a judicial probe into an alleged honey trap attempt on a minister, even as the CM delivered his response to the budget discussion.

BJP MLA Bharath Shetty criticised the government, stating, “Instead of addressing the honey trap scam, the CM prioritised passing the 4% Muslim quota bill, which is why we protested. It was government MLAs who tore papers and threw books at us; we did not harm anyone.”

The chaos erupted while Siddaramaiah was addressing the House and continued despite his reassurances. Defending his government, he stated there was no attempt to shield anyone. “It is the government’s responsibility to protect anyone in the case. According to the law, the guilty should be punished… There is no question of protecting anyone in the case,” he said, as per a report by media.

A day earlier, Home Minister G Parameshwara had announced a high-level inquiry into an alleged honey trap attempt involving MLC Rajendra Rajanna, son of KN Rajanna.

About Karnataka Honey Trap Scandal

Karnataka Cooperation Minister KN Rajanna claimed on Thursday, March 20 that at least 48 politicians, including state and national leaders from various parties, had fallen victim to a honey trap scheme. His statement came after BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal alleged that an attempt was made to trap Rajanna himself.

Rajanna urged Home Minister G Parameshwara to initiate an investigation into the matter. BJP leader and Leader of Opposition R Ashoka termed it the “biggest conspiracy against legislators”, warning that it was a deliberate attempt to target elected representatives with a hidden agenda.

The Allahabad High Court Bar Association strongly opposed the transfer of Justice Yashwant Verma by the Supreme Court Collegium after a stash of cash allegedly worth 15 crores was found at his Delhi residence following a fire incident.

Strongly objecting to the repatriation of Justice Verma, the Bar Association, in a letter to the Chief Justice and other judges of the Allahabad High Court, said that the Allahabad High Court is not a “trash bin” and raised concerns about the appointment process by the SC Collegium that has caused damage to “public faith in judiciary.”

“Today, we were taken aback that the Hon’ble Supreme Court has transferred Hon’ble Justice Yashwant Verma back to Allahabad High Court on the ground of his involvement in corruption wherein a sum of Rs. 15 crores has been found in his bungalow by the fire department. Newspapers have reported this fact on the front page,” the lawyers group said.

Questioning the decision of the SC Collegium, the lawyers group said, “This decision of the collegium of the Supreme Court raises a serious question as to whether the Allahabad High Court is a trash bin? This matter becomes important when we examine the current situation wherein the Allahabad High Court is short of hon’ble judges and despite the continuous problems, new judges have not been appointed for many years. It is also of grave concern that while appointing judges by elevating members of the Bar, the Bar was never consulted. Consideration of eligibility appears to be not up to the mark.”

“Something is lacking which has resulted in corruption and consequently, great damage has been caused to the ‘public faith in judiciary,'” the letter read.

Meanwhile, Supreme Court has also initiated an In-House inquiry against Justice Yashwant Verma, as per reports.

Kolkata, March 21: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials have now summoned security personnel who were on duty when the R.G. Kar rape and murder tragedy took place.

Sources said the eight security personnel had been asked to be present at CBI’s Central Government Office (CGO) complex at Salt Lake in Kolkata, this weekend.

The summons to the eight security persons follows similar summons to seven nursing staff on duty on the night of the tragedy at the ward where the body of the victim, a junior woman doctor was recovered in the morning of August 9, 2024.

Four of the seven nursing staff, who were summoned, appeared at the central agency office on Thursday and faced marathon questioning for several hours. However, the CBI officials are tight-lipped on what revelations were made during the interrogation.

The investigating officials expect to complete the questioning of the remaining three nursing staff, after which eight security personnel will be quizzed.

The sources said that the investigating officials are trying their best to complete the process of interrogation of the nursing staff as well as the security personnel by the weekend or maximum by Monday considering a fresh hearing in the R. G. Kar rape and murder tragedy scheduled to start at Calcutta High Court’s single- judge bench of Justice Tirthankar Ghosh from next week.

With the fresh hearing to begin at Calcutta High Court, there will be three parallel hearings at three different courts in the case. A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court headed by the Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and a special court in Kolkata will also hear the case.

The CBI is expected to submit a supplementary charge sheet at the special court soon highlighting the angle of tampering of evidence during the initial phase of investigation by Kolkata Police