The Karnataka High Court on Friday dismissed a petition challenging the oath by nine ministers and 37 MLAs that was allegedly not in the prescribed format.
The petition claimed that Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, Zameer Ahmad Khan, KN Rajanna and others failed to take the oath of office in the prescribed format and therefore it should be declared unconstitutional.
A bench of Chief Justice Prasanna B Varale and Justice Krishna S Dixit said that it was a technical issue that the oath was taken in the name of some persons.
The petition said that the oath could be taken only in the name of God or solemnly affirmed but these MLAs took the oath in the name of voters or other persons.
However, the HC noted that “This is a democratic set up; they are elected, selected by the voters. This is a technical difficulty that too not as such going to the root. It is only additionally that sometimes in enthusiasm somebody may hail somebody. Let them do their business. If you are so unhappy with them, see that in the coming elections they are not your representatives.”
Dismissing the petition, the HC said, “If they are not doing as expected by you as a voter see that they are not elected. You have a right to elect and select a representative while exercising your mandate to select a good person as per your consideration who is worthy.”
