Two days after the collapse of the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) alliance government in the state, Karnataka Assembly speaker KR Ramesh Kumar disqualifies three rebel Congress MLAs under the anti-defection law, in a move that heightened the suspense over the exercise of government formation. Kumar held that the resignation by the three MLAs -- Ramesh Jarkiholi, Mahesh Kumathalli and R Shankar -- were "not voluntary and genuine". As a result, he disqualified them under schedule 10 of the anti-defection law with immediate effect till the end of the term of the current House in 2023. The speaker also said he would take a decision on the resignations of the remaining 14 MLAs "in the next couple of days".Lok Sabha clears bill to criminalise instant Triple Talaq after Oppn walkout
The Lok Sabha on Thursday gave its nod to a bill, which seeks to penalise the practice of instant triple talaq, by a voice vote. Several amendments to the legislation, moved by the Opposition, were defeated. Following this, MPs from several opposition parties including Congress, DMK, Samajwadi Party and Trinamool Congress walked out of the Parliament. A move by the Opposition to stall the bill at the time of its consideration was rejected by a division vote of 303 for and 82 against.In Other NewsRTI Act diluted: The Rajya Sabha approved an amendment to the Right to Information (RTI Act) on Thursday after negating an opposition-sponsored motion to send it to a House committee for greater scrutiny. The bill, which gave the government powers to decide salary and service terms of the statutory body head and its members, is seen by critics as diluting the law and was passed by a voice note.Little relief: Iran has released nine out of 12 Indians who were on board the ship MT Riah that was detained in early July. 21 Indians are still in detention in Iran — three from MT Riah and 18 from British oil tanker Stena Impero that was seized last week by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in the Strait of Hormuz.Lone opposer: Leader of the Congress party in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, was on Thursday appointed as the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). Chowdhury is the lone member of the party in the PAC from the House.More defections?: A day after two BJP MLAs backed the Congress-led government in Madhya Pradesh Assembly, speculations are rife about four more BJP MLAs wanting to switch their loyalties to the CM Kamal Nath's camp.High drama: Lok Sabha witnessed high drama on Thursday when Azam Khan made objectionable remarks against the BJP's Rama Devi, who was presiding over the proceedings, leading to an uproar. Union ministers pressed the Samajwadi Party leader for an apology.Death penalty resumes: After a 16-year break, the US Justice Department on Thursday reinstated the use of capital punishment. They also immediately scheduled the executions for five death row federal inmates, with the first execution scheduled for December.On Our SpecialsWater warnings: Next time you fly over the Barapullah drain, just take a pause and you just might hear the cries of a dying river. Angana Chakrabarti, Aniruddha Ghosal and Rounak Gunjan write how the drain, that was not always a sewer, lies forgotten. Sixty-five-year-old Murugesan, who lives at the edge of the line that divides the Yamuna river from a drain, remembers a time decades ago when the drain had fish in it and the water was fit enough to swim in. Not anymore.Turning tables: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath has one-upped the BJP. Just as everyone was expecting the ‘monsoon exodus’ to turn from Karnataka to the central Indian state, Nath turned the tables on the BJP, poaching two of its MLAs. The buzz is that several other BJP MLAs are willing to switch over. Rasheed Kidwai reflects on how Kamal Nath has always been a master of developing a network of interests.
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