SC refuses to stop Telangana govt from making Amer Ali Khan, Kodandaram as mins

Hyderabad: The Supreme Court has declined a request from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) to issue a restraint order against the Congress government in Telangana regarding the appointment of Professor M Kodandaram and Amer Ali Khan as ministers in the state cabinet.

This decision was made by a bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Prasanna B Varale during a hearing of a petition filed by BRS leaders Dasoju Sravan Kumar and Kurra Satyanarayana.

They sought the court’s intervention to direct the state government and governor to nominate them as Members of the Legislative Council (MLCs) under the governor’s quota, following the rejection of their nominations by the governor after being proposed by the previous BRS government in September 2023.

Senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi, representing the BRS nominees, argued that the authorities were acting unlawfully while the matter was still pending before the Supreme Court.

He highlighted that Prof Kodandaram and Amer Ali had already been appointed as MLCs, and expressed concerns that the Congress government might soon induct them into the cabinet.

In defence, senior counsel K Ramakanth Reddy, representing Amer Ali, stated that there was no issue with the cabinet’s recommendations for their nominations under Article 171(5) of the Constitution.

Reddy pointed out that Amer Ali, a journalist involved in various charitable organizations, faced rejection due to his political background, as evidenced by the governor’s order dated August 19, 2023.

The Supreme Court has scheduled a final hearing on this matter for February 12, 2025, adjourning the case until then.