In a significant development favoring Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the Supreme Court on Monday intervened by temporarily halting the legal proceedings in a 2022 protest march case filed against him and several other Congress leaders. Additionally, the court raised pertinent questions regarding the distinction between political protests orchestrated by public figures and those organized by ordinary citizens.
The Supreme Court's intervention also extended to a Karnataka High Court ruling, which had previously dismissed Siddaramaiah's plea seeking the annulment of an FIR lodged against him and fellow party leaders, including Randeep Singh Surjewala, as well as state ministers MB Patil and Ramalinga Reddy. Notably, the High Court had imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 10,000 on each petitioner.
Constituted by Justices Hrishikesh Roy and Prashant Kumar Mishra, the Supreme Court bench announced that the next hearing regarding the case is slated to occur after a six-week interval.
During the court proceedings, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Karnataka's Chief Minister, contended that the demonstration in question constituted a "political protest" and argued that prosecuting it infringed upon the fundamental right to protest enshrined in Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution.
However, in response to Singhvi's assertion that political protests warranted distinct treatment, Justice Mishra interjected, questioning the premise: "Your argument suggests that if a politician engages in such activities, it should be sanctioned, whereas if an ordinary citizen does the same, it should not be? How can the mere involvement of a politician justify the dismissal of charges?" The Justice further pressed the issue, highlighting the absence of prior permission for the demonstration and critiquing the sudden assembly of thousands without due process.
This recent legal development transpired after Siddaramaiah's petition filed on February 14, contesting the Karnataka High Court's ruling.
The case stems from an incident in April 2022 when Congress members organized a protest march aimed at encircling the residence of then Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai in Bengaluru. The demonstration sought the resignation of former Minister KS Eshwarappa, who faced allegations of corruption linked to a contractor's suicide.
