Bangalore: Cong MLAs, Independents Stage Black Arm-band Protest Against Speaker

From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Feb 1: Obviously anticipating serious protests from the opposition members in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly over the Supreme Court’s order against Speaker K G Bopaiah’s decision of disqualifying 11 BJP members and five independent MLAs on the eve of the trust vote faced by the then Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa in October 2010, Bopaiah kept off the House on Wednesday. However, the Congress MLAs and five Independents staged a protest against the Speaker by wearing black arm-bands in the assembly.

The lower house carried out the proceedings in the absence of the Speaker with Deputy Speaker Yogesh Bhat and insisted on moving an adjournment motion on the issue of the disqualification of the MLAs, who had opposed Yeddyurappa. The Deputy Speaker Yogesh Bhat rejected the notice for moving the adjournment motion.

Congress opposition leader in the Assembly Siddaramaiah, who sought to move the adjournment motion, by contending that the BJP government was ''illegally” continuing in office since October 10, 2010, with the help of the illegal and unjustified order by Speaker K G Bopaiah in disqualifying the MLAs opposed to Yeddyurappa, said the Speaker had no moral right to continue in office and must resign to uphold the dignity of the office held by him.

The Supreme Court said the Speaker’s decision to disqualify members was “partisan order”. If the Speaker allowed 11 BJP and five Independent members to participate in the proceedings during the trust vote, the Yeddyurappa government could have collapsed then itself, the Congress leader said.

The Congress and independent members demanded resignation of Bopaiah from the Speaker’s post following Supreme Court verdict that declared Speaker’s decision to disqualify members as “unconstitutional.”

Carrying out their protest against the Speaker, the Congress members and five independents wore black bands and participated in the house proceedings even as Bopaiah did not come to the House anticipating the opposition protest. Deputy Speaker Yogish Bhat conducted the proceedings for the entire day.

Congress members V Srinivas Prasad, T B Jayachandra and H C Mahadevappa alleged that the Speaker has failed to protect privileges of members and acted in a partisan way during the trust vote.

Leader of the House S Suresh Kumar, who is also the minister for law and parliamentary affairs, defended the Speaker’s order to disqualify independents and said ''judgment will be revisited one day.”

''The House elected the Speaker and the Speaker is custodian of the House. Holding quasi-judicial position, the Speaker has taken the decision. The Karnataka High court also upheld the Speaker’s decision,” he said wondering if the Opposition members wanted the High Court judges to resign too for upholding the Speaker’s decision.

“Do you meant that High Court judges also should resign?” Suresh Kumar asked.

Later, Deputy Speaker Yogish Bhat said ''the Speaker’s decision is binding to all” and rejected Opposition’s move to move the adjournment motion and adjourned the house for the day.

JD(S) Members Stage Dharna Against Nehru Olekar

Meanwhile, the JD(S) members staged a dharna for a short duration in the Legislative Assembly earlier demanding unconditional apology from the ruling party member Nehru Olekar for allegedly using abusive language to S R Mahesh of the JD(S) during the question hour.

Olekar had addressed the JD(S) member in unparliamentary language when Higher Education and Endowment Minister Dr V S Acharya was answering a question from Congress member B Ramanath Rai on the issue of the amount released under the Aradhana scheme for renovation of temples.

Congress and JD(S) members took strong objection to Olekar’s remarks and demanded Deputy Speaker Yogish Bhat to direct BJP member to tender the apology.

Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah, Roshan Baig (Congress), and several others said it was unbecoming on the part of Oleakr to use foul language against Ramesh.

“This is the new culture of the ruling party members,” Baig said.

Even as Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister S Suresh Kumar appealed to Bhat to expunge the words used by the member from records, the Deputy Speaker directed Olkaer to tender the apology.

Finally, Olekar expressed his regrets over the issue and told Opposition members to behave in a dignified manner in the House.

The Congress and JD(S) members assailed the BJP Government for discriminating against opposition MLAs by denying funds under the Aradhana scheme for renovation and development of temples.

''Either the government msut provide reasonably adequate grants to all the temples or wind up the scheme,’’ Opposition members said protesting against alleged discriminatory tactics adopted by the government.

The government seemed to be reluctant to give money to ''poor” temples, said B Ramanath Rai (Cong) and charged that lesser grants flow to constituencies represented by opposition parties.

Rai found support from several members including C Balakrishna, Bandeppa Kashempur, K M Shivalingegowda, C S Puttegowda, Nadagouda , M T Krishnappa of JD(S), U T Kader, P M Ashok (both Cong), who said ruling party members get a lion’s share in allocation.

Siddaramaiah said in his Varuna constituency in Mysore, a person who is neither an MLA or MLC, has been going around flaunting a government order that he has secured allotment of funds under Aradhana Scheme.

''Who is this fellow? How can he claim credit for getting a government order? Why is the government resorting to partisan attitude?,” he asked.

As the arguments went on, Nehru Olekar of BJP made a remark against JD(S) member S R Mahesh, which sparked noisy scenes and JD(S) members staged dharna for a brief while.

Deputy Speaker N Yogish Bhat expunged the remarks and Olekar expressed regret for it, following which JD(S) members called off their dharna. Dr V S Acharya promised to look into the opposition complaints on release of funds.