Morning Pulse: Quota fight heads to the Supreme Court as Kumaraswamy and cane growers set deadlines

Since yesterday's Morning Pulse, the Shivakumar government has made one firm choice and postponed two others. The Cabinet decided on Thursday to challenge the High Court's quota ruling in the Supreme Court. But the Ninth Schedule route, and the question of who should investigate the alleged sting operations, were handed to smaller rooms. Outside Vidhana Soudha, other people are now setting the timetable: H D Kumaraswamy has given the police two days, and the cane marchers want an answer before they reach Hubballi.

On the quota, the loop we flagged is closed. Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara told reporters after the Cabinet meeting that the state would file a special leave petition against Monday's verdict, which struck down the 2022 law raising the SC quota from 15 to 17 per cent and the ST quota from 3 to 7 per cent, IANS reported. The Federal Karnataka said the decision was unanimous and that the Cabinet cited the risk to state government recruitment. Seeking Ninth Schedule protection was not ruled out. It goes to the Political Affairs Committee led by Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, both outlets said, so for now the appeal is the only concrete step. Neither report said what happens meanwhile to selection lists drawn up under the 56 per cent ceiling.

The sting row is where accounts differ. Parameshwara said the issue was not discussed and no decision was taken on an investigation, according to IANS. The Federal Karnataka, citing sources, reported that ministers did give views on whether the case should stay with the city CCB or move to the CID or a special investigation team, and that the choice was left to the Chief Minister. We could not reconcile the two versions, and the government has announced no change in the probe.

That gap is what Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy took to the steps of the Bengaluru Police Commissioner's office on Thursday. The South First reported that he alleged police had questioned a JD(S) social media worker from early morning and tried to pressure him, and that he wanted investigators to question him instead. He showed a photograph of a man he described as a rowdy-sheeter standing with Congress in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala, and he alleged the person behind the sting is close to the Chief Minister. These are his allegations; police have not commented on them in the reports we read. After about 30 minutes with Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh, he ended the protest and gave the police two days to act, The Hans India (IANS) reported.

Home Minister Priyank Kharge pushed back. He said the probe would follow procedure, not political demands, that no one had been arrested and that Kumaraswamy could be summoned if suspicion arose against him, IANS reported. The exchange also turned personal, with Kharge referring to Kumaraswamy's heart surgery, The South First reported.

On the cane front, the Hubballi Chalo march kept moving. Belagavi Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Roshan met the marchers near Belagavi on Thursday evening with Police Commissioner Prakash Nikam, Deccan Chronicle and ETV Bharat reported. According to ETV Bharat, he said he had passed three demands to the state and to Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, promised good news in two to three days and said a central team would visit within a week. Farmer leader Chunappa Pujari asked Shivakumar to call in the mill owners at once, and ETV Bharat reported that he also sought Rs 1,000 a tonne from the state. Speaking in Udupi district, Shivakumar asked growers to stay patient, calling it a national problem, and said Union ministers had convened a meeting, Deccan Chronicle reported.

Two other threads moved. Parameshwara said the final drought memorandum would be ready in a day or two, with losses so far put at about Rs 46,000 crore and possibly Rs 60,000 to 70,000 crore after final assessment, Vartha Bharati and IANS reported. The government will again ask the BJP and JD(S) to join an all-party delegation to Delhi; if they refuse, the Chief Minister and ministers will go alone. And Bengaluru gets the last word on the cricket: West Indies won the fourth T20I in Hyderabad by 24 runs, levelling the series 2-2 and setting up Saturday's decider at the Chinnaswamy, Outlook India and India.com reported.