Wrong target

Political turmoil in Karnataka has thrown up frailty of the highest constitutional posts like Governor and Speaker, yet again. And this explains the clownish behaviour of H R Bharadhwaj and K G Bopiah.u00a0

No one was cringed at the governor's chameleon like variation on clamping the president rule on the state following the unruly scenes in the assembly when chief minister Yeddyurappa sought the vote of confidence.

Bhardwaj, who was valiant enough to recommend President's rule, on the day, looked ridiculously pathetic, when he requested the CM to go for the vote of confidence again, through the press, the next day.

u00a0Bopiah showed the unusual swiftness in disqualifying MLAs before sunrise on the day they were expected to vote against the Government, while his predecessor Krishna sat on a similar issue allowing the term of the house expiring so that the case is in-fructuous. Both were just protecting the interest of their respective parties- the BJP and the JD(S).

Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court was dragged into politics so openly, questioning judiciary's very integrity

While, the scenes of high voltage political drama were highly predictable, J S Kehar, chief justice of Karnataka High Court, was dragged into politics so openly, questioning its very integrity of the judiciary.

While Keher upheld the disqualification of the MLAs, in a split verdict, his junior colleague ruled otherwise. When the disqualification obviously helps the chief minister, a member of Parliament from Congress was dared enough to cast aspersions on the chief justice for having shared the dais with the chief minister on the eve of Dussehra precession at Mysore.

The media jumped at the opportunity to pepper the reports on political drama with judicial flavour. A local English channel showed the Chief Justice as if he was a criminal caught in the act, by circling him in red.

A vernacular tabloid went to an extent of accusing him of accepting bribe from Yeddyurappa. It wrote that the chief minister gifted a diamond nickels to Kehar's, who had accompanied him and he took him to the famous Lingayat math in the city.

The argument is that the government and the Chief Minister were the respondent in the case of disqualification and the association of the chief justice with CM in a public function was an indication of their connivance.

Moreover, Kehar's participation in the Dussehra function was official and it was not in violation of any protocol.u00a0u00a0u00a0

The question is why the court is procrastinating to take cognisance, while it is a fit case of contempt of court.