Two editors of Kannada tabloids, sentenced to one-year jail term by the Karnataka Assembly over their alleged defamatory articles, today appeared before the Speaker and pleaded for a review of the House resolution that has triggered protests from the media.
Speaker K B Koliwad, however, told the editors--Ravi Belagere and Anil Raju of "Hai Bangalore" and "Yelahanka Voice" respectively--that he has no adjudicating powers to review the decision as it was unanimously taken by the House.
Koliwad said he would look at different options, including convening a special session of the Assembly.
The two editors visited the Speaker's office to seek review of the June 21 resolution passed by Assembly for their alleged defamatory articles against legislators.
Contending that the resolution was illegal and unconstitutional, the two journalists had sought its quashing by the High Court which had advised finding an amicable solution to the controversy.
On Saturday last, the High Court had disposed the petitions after the journalists said they would appear before the Speaker and seek revision of the resolution.
The counsel for the Speaker had told the Court that Belagere and Raju would not be arrested but they would have to appear before the Presiding Officer and submit a plea.
"The two editors have made their submissions before me and sought reviewing of the resolution, sentencing them for one year in jail. I just want to say, I will look into it," Koliwad told reporters after the counsel of the journalists, Shankarappa, made his submissions before him.
Asked about the options left for him to review the resolution, Koliwad said he has no powers to do that, but may convene a special session to consider the editors' plea.
"I have no adjudicating powers as the Speaker to review the sentencing, because the decision was unanimously taken by the House, after the Privileges Committee had recommended action against the editors," he said.
"A special session might be called, there is that one option," Koliwad added.
Asked whether he has kept in abeyance the resolution, he said, "that is left for you all (reporters) to interpret. I have nothing to say."
The Assembly had awarded the sentence besides imposing a fine of Rs 10,000 each on Belagere and Raju based on the recommendations of Privileges Committee of the House.
The June 21 assembly resolution had led to protests from the media with the Editors' Guild of India terming it as a "gross misuse" of power which "violates" the fundamental right of freedom of speech.
The guild also had urged the Assembly to withdraw its resolution "without delay".
Belagere had published an article against Koliwad in September 2014 issue of 'Hai Bangalore'.
Former Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa had referred the issue to the Privileges Committee after Koliwad, then an MLA, had lodged a complaint against Belagere.
Congress and BJP MLAs, B M Nagaraju and S R Viswanath had raised the issue in the House and recommended action against the journalists.
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