War of words grows louder

The Centre and the Congress on Saturday backed Karnataka governor HR Bhardwaj’s move to grant sanction to prosecute chief minister BS Yeddyurappa, saying the decision was in accordance with the law.
“If anyone is aggrieved, they have the option to take legal remedies,” was their suggestion to Yeddyurrapa and the BJP. Home minister P Chidambaram said it was not the first time a governor has given his sanction to prosecute a CM or a minister. “The law in this respect is clear and well-settled,” he said in a statement.
Citing the 2004 case of MP Special Police Establishment versus State of Madhya Pradesh (vol. 8 SCC page 788), Chidambaram said then governor of Madhya Pradesh, Bhai Mahavir overruled the Cabinet’s advice and granted sanction to prosecute two ministers. A five-Judge bench of the SC later upheld the governor’s order.
He also drew the BJP’s attention to Karnataka Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde’s statement in which he observed the governor had the jurisdiction to grant sanction for prosecution.
Echoing his views, law minister Veerappa Moily said the BJP by opposing the decision was defending corruption.
“Everyone is equal before law. Governor has full authority to sanction prosecution of a chief minister who does not enjoy immunity. Everything is on record about corruption and nepotism (of Yeddyurappa) and even BJP had asked him to quit,” he said in Mumbai.
The Congress said there was “absolutely no need” for the BJP to indulge in political blame-game. “The power which the Constitution entrusts to the governor, has been exercised and the remedy, if any, is court redressal and not political allegation or deliberate breakdown in law and order, by the BJP, for the BJP in a BJP ruled state,” spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said.
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PSEB Class-10 results: Mohali rises in ranking, slips in pass percentage
Even though Mohali district rose by two spots from last year's ranking in the PSEB Class 10 exams, its pass percentage dropped from 99.91% to 99%. Last year, Mohali was placed 17th among the 23 districts. This year, it improved its standing to 15th, with Gurdaspur district bagging the top spot. As many as 9,401 students from 109 Mohali schools appeared in the exams and 9,307 passed.
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32-year-old doctor ends life in Mohali’s Phase 2
A 32-year-old doctor allegedly ended his life by injecting himself with a paralytic drug used in anaesthesia at his rented accommodation in Phase 2 on Monday night. The doctor, who hailed from Rupnagar, was living alone in the rented house for the last three months and worked at a private hospital in Sector 34, Chandigarh. The autopsy will be conducted at the Phase-6 civil hospital on Wednesday.
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Sippy Sidhu murder: Kalyani’s judicial custody extended
A local court on Tuesday extended the judicial custody of Kalyani Singh, an accused in the murder of national-level shooter and lawyer Sukhmanpreet Singh, alias Sippy Sidhu. Lodged in Model Jail, Sector 51, since June 21, Kalyani, 36, was produced in court via video conferencing. On Monday, she had applied for bail before a local court. Her plea will be taken up for hearing on July 8.
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Haryana miffed over Chandigarh hiring medical officers from Punjab, other states
The UT administration's decision to appoint 33 medical officers (MOs) on deputation from Punjab, Delhi and Himachal Pradesh, and none from Haryana has not gone down well with the Haryana government. Highlighting its displeasure through a letter, the Haryana government has urged the UT administration to maintain the 60:40 ratio between Punjab and Haryana while filling up the vacant posts of MOs and dental surgeons. Till then, Haryana had not sent any panel of doctors.
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Panjab University senate okays fee hike for campus, affiliated colleges
In a major decision, the Panjab University senate on Tuesday approved the proposed fee hike in its teaching departments, regional centres and affiliated colleges for the 2022-23 session. A 5% increase in fee will be implemented for students of the ongoing batches. The fee hike, however, was met with opposition by some senators. The fee hikes over the past years have never gone down well with students.