Karnataka - Hubli-Dharwad   

Don’t administer oath of office to defectors, Governor told

HUBLI: Congress leader H.K. Patil has urged Governor Rameshwar Thakur not to administer the oath of office to “defectors,” who are likely to be inducted into the Ministry.

Addressing presspersons here on Sunday, Mr. Patil said he had sent a letter in this regard to the Governor.

He said that those “defectors” who had been accommodated in the Ministry should also be dropped.

“The (recent) developments are transparent exhibition of total disregard of the Constitution and the values enshrined in it by the ruling party. The BJP Government is making a mockery of the Constitution by including defectors in the Cabinet. And the latest development points towards some more defectors being given ministerial berths,” he said.

The Congress leader said it was the BJP, when in power at the Centre, that had introduced the 91st Amendment to the Constitution to check defection.

He said Article that 164 (1B) and Article 361 B of the Constitution prevented a “disqualified member” from being appointed Minister or from getting any remunerative political post for the period of disqualification.

“Now it is the same BJP which has demolished the values so effectively and successfully in Karnataka by luring elected representatives to their side and giving them ministerial berths,” Mr. Patil said.

“If a member of the House resigns from the party, he becomes a defector and if he resigns from the House first and then resigns from the party, he is not a defector. This fraudulent interpretation is being used by the BJP to attract MLAs to its side by promising them ministerial berths,” he said.

To a question, he expressed hope that the Governor would use his discretionary powers to take appropriate action against the “defectors” and uphold constitutional values.

He said the Congress would take up the issue of BJP’s efforts to increase its number in the Assembly by offering ministerial berths to those from other parties, before the people.

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