logo
Karnataka Assembly passes bill to decentralise Bengaluru civic body, assures autonomy

Karnataka Assembly passes bill to decentralise Bengaluru civic body, assures autonomy

India Todaya day ago
The Karnataka Legislative Assembly today passed the Greater Bengaluru Governance (Amendment) Bill 2025, tabled by Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who also holds the Bengaluru Development portfolio.During the discussion, Shivakumar clarified that the amendment was intended to ensure the Greater Bengaluru Authority would not interfere in the functioning of municipal corporations.'Some people filed a PIL alleging the Authority had powers to take control of corporations. Though the court did not accept the PIL, we brought this amendment to prevent any confusion in the future,' he said.advertisement
Shivakumar added that Mayors and corporation members would retain full powers as per the Constitution. He also addressed concerns from MLAs about village inclusion and financial assistance, noting that law restricts fund transfers to maintain constitutional compliance.'We will deliberate on which villages to include and are ready to withdraw the amendment if the Opposition disagrees,' he said.Shivakumar emphasised that the government does not intend to politicize Bengaluru's governance. 'We do not want to do politics over Bengaluru's future. The government will not interfere with financial independence, tax collection, elections, or reservation. The 74th amendment has been fully protected,' he stated.He also responded to attempts to obstruct the discussion, telling MLA Muniratna, 'We will give you an opportunity to participate. We have forgotten you as you are busy running around for the investigation.'A notification for the next steps is expected by August 25 after seeking the Governor's permission.- EndsMust Watch
IN THIS STORY#Karnataka
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

M A Baby writes: Bill to remove arrested ministers is an attack on Opposition, not corruption
M A Baby writes: Bill to remove arrested ministers is an attack on Opposition, not corruption

Indian Express

time27 minutes ago

  • Indian Express

M A Baby writes: Bill to remove arrested ministers is an attack on Opposition, not corruption

The Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill, 2025, which has been introduced in the name of 'public interest, welfare, and good governance', is, in reality, a draconian piece of legislation designed to destabilise opposition-led state governments and undermine India's federal structure. In an era marked by vindictive politics, where central agencies are unleashed against Opposition leaders, the provisions have been designed to enable misuse for ulterior motives. The bill's reference to 'constitutional morality' contradicts its spirit, as it deviates from the established principle that disqualification and punishment should be tied to convictions by courts, not merely charges or arrests. This principle is clearly enshrined in Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act (RPA), 1951. In today's pernicious political climate, where individuals can be easily charged, arrested, and detained for extended periods, this legislation will surely be weaponised to target political opponents and erode democratic norms. Articles 75, 164 and 239AA of the Indian Constitution detail procedures and prerequisites for ministerial appointment and removal, expressly vesting such power in 'the President on the advice of the Prime Minister' and 'the Governor on the advice of the Chief Minister'. The proposed amendment breaches this constitutional intent. Articles 14, 19 and 21 enshrine equality before the law, freedom of speech, due process, and personal liberty. Automatic removal on unproven criminal charges contravenes these guarantees. It reverses the burden of proof and the presumption of innocence. There isn't even a sunset or review clause. Once removed, the minister cannot automatically return even if acquitted or if bail is granted after the 30-day period. There is no provision for compensation if the arrest is found to be malicious, either. In fact, this will only encourage the misuse of preventive detention and laws like the UAPA. As far as central agencies go, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is the favourite lapdog of the current ruling dispensation. However, the ED has a dismal track record. Only 38 out of the most recent 5,063 cases filed by them have resulted in convictions. This extremely low conviction rate also exposes the fact that most cases never even reach the trial stage. Ninety-five per cent of ED cases against politicians between 2014 and 2022 were against Opposition leaders. Under PMLA, bail remains rare, particularly because of the twin conditions – the public prosecutor having a chance to oppose the bail application and the court being satisfied that the person is not guilty and unlikely to commit any offence while on bail — to be met under Section 45. Such excesses are only going to get accentuated if this bill becomes law! Four serious objections ought to be raised against this bill. One, it is violative of the presumption of innocence. It punishes ministers on mere arrest, not conviction, subverting the constitutional guarantee of 'innocent until proven guilty' and creating an executive tool for vendetta. Two, it breaches the separation of powers. Automatic removal bypasses parliamentary and judicial oversight, concentrating unchecked power in the executive and contravening basic constitutional checks and balances. Three, due process is denied. Removal without trial, charge framing, or judicial finding violates due process, as established in Rameshwar Prasad v Union of India. Four, it creates a platform for political misuse. Under the current well-established pattern of central agencies targeting Opposition leaders, the bill risks constitutionalising vendetta instead of promoting clean governance. This bill is an unprecedented attack on India's constitutional architecture. It is a manifestation of the Modi government's authoritarian drive to suppress the Opposition and our democracy, which displays their neo-fascist characteristics. By enabling automatic removal of a Prime Minister, Chief Minister, or minister on mere arrest and pre-trial custodial detention, it eviscerates the presumption of innocence and due process, both cornerstones of a meaningful system of law and justice. It vests arbitrary power in central agencies, opening the floodgates to constitutionalised vendetta against Opposition leaders. The pattern of weaponising prosecution is already underway, and it cannot be allowed to have constitutional sanctity. The writer is general secretary of the CPI(M)

'We are going back to medieval times': Rahul Gandhi slams PM, CM removal bills
'We are going back to medieval times': Rahul Gandhi slams PM, CM removal bills

Hindustan Times

time27 minutes ago

  • Hindustan Times

'We are going back to medieval times': Rahul Gandhi slams PM, CM removal bills

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday weighed in on the new bills proposing to remove a sitting Prime Minister, chief ministers and ministers in states and UTs, and said the move indicates that India was going back to medieval times. Lok Sabha LoP and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi interacts with the media at parliament during the monsoon session.(Rahul Singh) "We are going back to medieval times when the king could just remove anybody at will. There's no concept of what an elected person is. He doesn't like your face, so he tells ED to put a case, and then a democratically elected person is wiped out within 30 days," Rahul Gandhi said in an address to the media this evening. There three bills -- The Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill, which covers the PM and states, plus Delhi NCT; The Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, and The Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill, propose to remove the people from these key posts if they are arrested for over 30 days on charges that have jail terms of at least five years. The Opposition has been speaking against these proposed legislations, because they speak of action on mere allegations and not on proven guilt. Rahul Gandhi's remarks on the proposed bills came hours after the government referred them to a joint parliamentary committee. Union Minister Amit Shah moved the three bills in Parliament today, drawing fierce opposition. Opposition MPs tore up copies of the bills and some members trooped into the well and raised slogans. Among those opposing the bills are IMIM's Asaduddin Owaisi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Congress' Manish Tewari and K C Venugopal. "I condemn it as a step towards something that is more than a super-Emergency, a step to end the democratic era of India forever. This draconian step comes as a death knell for democracy and federalism in India," Banerjee tweeted. Meanwhile, Owaisi has argued that the bills violate the principle of separation of powers - the Parliament, the executive (or government), and judiciary. Opposition's argument is that the bills stand to "change the provision of innocent until proven guilty" as it proposes to have a sitting PM, CMs and ministers lose their positions based on arrests or detention of 30 consecutive days on a charge that has a jail term of at least five years.

'Going back to medieval times': Rahul Gandhi slams new bills tabled by Amit Shah; asks 'where has VP gone?'
'Going back to medieval times': Rahul Gandhi slams new bills tabled by Amit Shah; asks 'where has VP gone?'

Time of India

time42 minutes ago

  • Time of India

'Going back to medieval times': Rahul Gandhi slams new bills tabled by Amit Shah; asks 'where has VP gone?'

NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition and Congress MP on Wednesday hit out at the Centre over the new bills introduced by Union home minister , saying that "we are going back to medieval times when the king could just remove anybody at will." Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Earlier in the day, Amit Shah tabled three bills in the Lok Sabha -- the One Hundred and Thirtieth Amendment Bill, 2025, the Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill, and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill. The proposals seek the removal of the Prime Minister, Union ministers, chief ministers, or state/UT ministers if they are arrested or kept in custody for serious criminal charges for 30 consecutive days. Targeting the -led Centre, Rahul said, 'There is a lot of action going on about the new Bill that the BJP is proposing. We are going back to medieval times when the king could just remove anybody at will. There's no concept of what an elected person is. He doesn't like your face, so he tells ED to put a case, and then a democratically elected person is wiped out within 30 days.' He also raised questions over the sudden resignation of former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar ahead of the upcoming Vice-Presidential election. 'Also, let's not forget why we are electing a new Vice President. Just yesterday I was having a conversation with somebody and I said, you know, where is the old vice president gone? He's gone…' He added: "Why is he hiding? Is the Vice President of India in a situation where he cannot say a word? Suddenly, the person who used to burst forth in the Rajya Sabha has gone silent, completely silent. So, this is the time we are living in.' Reiterating support for the INDIA bloc's Vice-Presidential candidate, Rahul added, 'We are backing Sudershan Reddy ji, and I am confident that he will fight an extremely solid election, and the nation will see the message that we are intending to deliver.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store