Bengaluru police commissioner issues prohibitory orders around Vidhana Soudha

Bengaluru: Bengaluru police commissioner Alok Kumar has issued prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC), restricting the gathering of more than five persons and any form of protest within two-km area around Vidhana Soudha. The police commissioner issued the orders on Wednesday night, following the ruckus that was witnessed at the Secretariat when senior Congress leaders allegedly manhandled disgruntled MLA Sudhakar, who was present at the Speaker's office to submit his resignation.

The order has been issued after a spate of resignations threatening the existence of the coalition government in Karnataka has set the stage for a major political showdown.

The prohibitory orders have come into effect on Thursday when chief minister HD Kumaraswamy is scheduled to chair a Cabinet meeting in the backdrop of 18 MLAs, including housing minister MTB Nagaraj and two Independent legislators -- R Shankar and H Nagesh -- who withdrew their support to the Congress-JD(S) coalition government.

Assembly Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar is yet to accept the resignations of the MLAs. Kumar has said he has to first hear the legislators. He has also pointed out that of the 16 resignations of the MLAs, only five were in proper format.

The developments surfaced well ahead of the Assembly session starting Friday.

The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has asked Kumaraswamy to step down, claiming that his government has lost the majority.

The saffron party has also urged the Governor to step in following the crisis.

According to sources, BJP members have petitioned the Governor seeking his intervention and they may even move a no-confidence motion against the government. 

• Vidhana Soudha
• HD Kumaraswamy
• Coalition government
• Cabinet meeting
• Bengaluru police commissioner
• Bengaluru