BENGALURU: The High Court on Monday declined to interfere in the show-cause notice issued by the State Government to Belagavi Mayor Saritha Patil for leading a Black Day protest called by the
Maharashtra Ekikarana Samiti (MES), instead of participating in the Karnataka Rajyotsava
celebrations organised by the district administration.
The State Government issued a show-cause notice on November 5 to Patil as to why the Belagavi
City Corporation should not be dissolved and why disciplinary action should not be taken against her.
Challenging it, Roopa and 39 other corporators filed the petition. While disposing the petition, Dr Justice Vineet Kothari said the court felt there was no need for interference in the show-cause notice to the mayor.The petitioners contended that there was no reason for the government to have proposed to dissolve the entire body consisting of 58 elected corporators just because the mayor failed to participate in the function held on November 1.
Affects ‘Smart City’ The petitioners said the State has pre-determined to dissolve the corporation in exercise of the powers under Section 99 of the Karnataka Municipal Corporation Act, although the remaining 57 corporators are in no way concerned with the mayor’s act.
Belagavi city has been selected as a smart city by the Central Government and if the corporation is dissolved,it will hamper the developmental activities, they claimed.
Show-Cause Notice
In its show-cause notice, the State Government said that Saritha, who had to take action against anti-Kannada activists being the Mayor, instead led a protest called by MES. The protestors had shouted slogans against Karnataka and this was an insult to the post of Mayor and amounts to criminal act.