2 independent MLAs move SC seeking floor test to be concluded tomorrow before 5 pm

Agencies
July 21, 2019

New Delhi, Jul 21: Two independent Karnataka MLAs on Sunday moved the Supreme Court seeking a direction to conclude a floor test in the state Assembly on Monday before 5 pm.

Two lawmakers - H Nagesh and R Shankar -- have made Karnataka Assembly Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar, Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, and the Central government as the respondents in their petition.

The petition moved through advocate Diksha Rai has sought the enforcement of their fundamental rights under Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution, which the petitioners allege are being "violated with impunity".

The petitioners have submitted that a minority government, which does not have the confidence of the majority, is being allowed to continue in office.

"It is submitted that the actions of the respondents are leading to a Constitutional crisis in the state of Karnataka," the plea stated.

"The intention of the government is to delay the trust vote and indulge in horse-trading and defections from the BJP in the meanwhile," the plea submitted.

"It is submitted that this court may be pleased to intervene to uphold the rule of law and constitutional democracy," said the petition.

The independent MLAs have stated that "irreparable harm and injury" will be caused to them if the interim relief prayed for is not granted by the court.

On July 19, the Karnataka Assembly failed to meet two deadlines set by Governor Vajubhai Vala to complete the trust vote, after Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy challenged the directive.

The trust vote is now scheduled for Monday.

The 13-month-old Congress-JDS government slumped into a minority earlier this month following the resignations of 16 dissident MLAs from the cabinet. 

The state Assembly has 225 members, including one nominated MLA. The halfway mark in the 225-member Assembly is 113.

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News Network
January 22,2020

Udupi, Jan 22: Udupi district authorities was on high alert following the bomb detected at Mangalore International Airport (MIA).

Udupi railway police said that security had been strengthened in all the railway stations, including Padubudri, Senapur, Barkur, Kundapur and Indrali in the district.

The police in mufti and uniform were on constant beats in the railway stations. Besides, dog squads and bomb detection squads have been deputed in the railways stations, they said.

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Agencies
February 8,2020

Mumbai, Feb 8: Anil Ambani, the brother of Asia’s richest man has pleaded poverty in his dispute with three Chinese banks seeking $680 million in defaulted loans.

“The value of my investments has collapsed,” Anil Ambani said, according to a court filing by the banks in a London lawsuit.

“The current value of my shareholdings is down to approximately $82.4m and my net worth is zero after taking into account my liabilities. In summary, I do not hold any meaningful assets which can be liquidated for the purposes of these proceedings.”

The lawsuit was filed by three state-controlled Chinese banks which argue that they provided a loan of $925 million to Ambani’s Reliance Communications Ltd. in 2012 with the condition that he personally guarantee the debt. The comments were disclosed on Friday as Ambani sought to avoid depositing hundreds of millions of dollars with the court ahead of a trial.

The embattled Indian tycoon says that while he agreed to give a non-binding “personal comfort letter,” he never gave a guarantee tied to his personal assets -- an “extraordinary potential personal liability.”

The 60-year-old is the brother of Mukesh Ambani, who’s worth $56.5 billion and is the wealthiest man in Asia. Anil, on the other hand, has seen his personal fortune dwindle over recent years, losing his billionaire status. His Reliance Communications filed for bankruptcy last year.

The banks asked Judge David Waksman to force Ambani to put up $656 million into the court’s account.

Representatives for Ambani’s Reliance Group said they couldn’t immediately comment. They said the group will issue a statement once the court issues the final order.

Ambani’s lawyer, Robert Howe, said the court shouldn’t order his client to make a payment he can’t make. The tycoon argues that an order requiring him to do so would hinder his ability to defend himself in the case, Howe said.

“There’s no evidence of some giant pot of gold that he can pull $1 million, let alone $10 million, let alone $100 million,” Howe said.

Bankim Thanki, an attorney representing Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd., China Development Bank and the Export-Import Bank of China, said in a filing that Ambani’s statements are “plainly a yet further opportunistic attempt to evade his financial obligations to the lenders.”

Ambani was caught up in another legal wrangle last year when India’s Supreme Court threatened him with prison after Reliance Communications failed to pay Rs 5.5 billion ($77 million) to Ericsson AB’s Indian unit. The judges gave him a month to find the funds, and his brother, Mukesh, stepped in just in time to make the payment.

Anil said in a filing that he recognized that the judge would want to know if he could satisfy any order to put up funds from outside resources, including his family.

“I can confirm that I have made enquiries but I am unable to raise any finance from external sources,” he said. Judge Waksman had said in an earlier ruling that he believed Ambani’s defence would be shown to be “opportunistic and false.”

Ambani’s lawyer told the judge that as a result of the comments the tycoon’s relatives were unlikely to lend any funds.

There is a “very substantial risk they will never get it back,” Howe said.

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News Network
May 5,2020

Bengaluru, May 5: Migrant workers blocked national highway near Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) in Bengaluru on Monday, demanding to be sent back to their home states.

Revenue Minister R Ashok and CM's Political Secretary Vishwanath visited the spot and sent all migrant workers to BIEC center.

The protest caused more traffic and Peenya Police Inspector also suffered minor injuries while sending the migrants. Most of the migrants hail from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

As per the information from, some migrant workers tried to throw stones at the police while they tried to evacuate them from the road to the BIEC center.

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