Two editors of Kannada tabloids Ravi Belegere and Anil Raj on Monday appeared before Karnataka Assembly Speaker KB Koliwad seeking to reconsider his verdict against them. Karnataka Assembly in one of the rarest incidents sentenced two editors Ravi Balegere and Anil Raj to one year imprisonment for writing derogatory article and based on recommendation of the House Committee appointed by the Assembly on June 21 and slapped a fine of Rs 10,000 on each.
The journalists have approached High Court seeking relief from the sentence imposed by the Assembly and in turn the HC asked the Karnataka Government to settle the matter amicably.
The court also directed the journalists to appear before the Speaker to settle the matter. The High Court asked the Advocate General to resolve the issue as per the guidelines and not to arrest the two when they appear before the Speaker. Following an assurance by the public prosecutor the judge disposed the petition as withdrawn.
However, both Ravi Belegere and Anil Raj appeared before the Speaker who read out the rules under which he took his decision to implement the recommendation of the House Committee.
Koliwad said, “I have discharged my duties as per constitution. As the Speaker it is my duty to implement the recommendation of the House Committee. Now they have appealed for reconsidering my decision and as per rules decision will be taken. law will take its own course”. “I have discharged my duty as Speaker and I was not a member of the House Committee," he added.
Earlier, senior advocate Shankarappa, appearing on behalf of the journalists, stated that the issue will not come under purview of the disciplinary Act since the incident has happened outside the legislature and not in the House. He also quoted cases which were dismissed in Tamil Nadu and by the Supreme Court on similar incidents.
Noted journalist and writer Ravi Belagere who heads the Hi Bengaluru a popular Kannada tabloid published from Bengaluru and Anil Raj, Editor of Yelahanka Voice are the two scribes facing the wrath of the Karnataka Assembly.
"The State Assembly has decided to punish the two journalists of Kannada tabloids for publishing defamatory articles against legislators," Koliwad had announced on the floor of the House in Bengaluru.
"I approve the recommendation of the privilege committee which had recommended a year's imprisonment and a fine of Rs 10,000 on Hi Bengaluru and Yelahanka Voice editors," the Speaker said.
The Privileges Committee of the Assembly had recommended jail for Belagere and Anil Raju of Yelahanka Voice for publishing articles against legislators, including Koliwad. The article against Koliwad was published in the September 2014 issue of Hi Bengaluru.
It was former Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa, now Revenue Minister in the Siddaramaiah Cabinet, who had referred the issue to the privilege committee after Koliwad had lodged a complaint against Belagere.
The committee, which investigated the complaint, recommended imposition of a year of imprisonment on Ravi Belagere in addition to a fine of Rs 10,000. During the consideration of the committee's recommendations, legislators from all parties supported the recommendation and urged the chair to implement the same. As the House approved the recommendation, Koliwad announced his decision.
Editor of Yelahanka Voicenewspaper, Anil Raj, was facing the allegation of publishing a series of defamatory reports against Yelahanka MlA, SR Vishwanath of the BJP. Therefore he faced complaint about breach of privilege.
The privileges committee headed by Kimmane Ratnakar had recommended a year of imprisonment and fine of Rs 10,000 in the case of Anil Raj. MlA, Vishwanath, requested the house to uphold this recommendation. He said that editors of some publications have been in the habit of publishing unsubstantiated reports which compromise the dignity of the House.
Government's chief whip, Ashok Pattana, and other members had supported this demand. The speaker, after getting the nod of members, announced the decision to impose punishment as recommended. Congress and BJP MlAs, BM Nagaraju and SR Viswanath raised the issue in the House and recommended action against the journalists.