Belgaum: Yeddy takes dharna to Assembly; Marathi speech causes commotion

Belgaum, Nov 26 (DHNS): KJP leader B S Yeddyurappa on Monday launched an indefinite dharna in the well of the Legislative Assembly, demanding that the government extend ‘Shaadi Bhagya’ scheme to BPL families of all the communities and restore the supply of food grain to APL card holders under the public distribution system.

He refused to budge despite Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and several senior members trying to convince him to withdraw the dharna. “The scheme has been announced in the revised budget 2013-14. The government will seriously consider extending the scheme to all communities in the next budget. I urge Yeddyurappa to call off the dharna. He should not make it a prestige issue,” the chief minister stated.

Earlier, soon after the House made obituary references to some noted personalities, Yeddyurappa along with five KJP MLAs trooped into the well.  “I am a former chief minister. Though I staged dharna for 24 days in Bangalore, the government did not bother to even meet me. This is the most unbecoming of the government,” he stated.

The Speaker chose to ignore the KJP protest and asked the leader of the Opposition H D Kumaraswamy to make a preliminary submission on an adjournment motion that was sought to be moved on farmers’ issues. Then the BJP and the JD(S) members, including Jagadish Shettar, R Ashoka, Y S V Datta and Sa Ra Mahesh, urged the Speaker to look into the issue raised by Yeddyurappa.

Under  ‘Shaadi Bhagya’, a one-time financial assistance of Rs 50,000 will be given to each of the newly married couple belonging to the minority communities.

Heated exchanges

Then the Speaker agreed to allow Yeddyurappa to make a preliminary submission on an adjournment motion he sought to move on Shaadi Bhagya, provided all the members of his party withdraw their dharna. The KJP leader suddenly turned furious.

He flung a bunch of papers he was holding and rushed towards the Speaker’s chair. “I am a former chief minister. The government does not even care to meet me though I staged dharna for 24 days in Bangalore. I have my own responsibilities,” he shouted at the top of his voice addressing the Speaker.

Thimmappa too lost his cool, resulting in a heated exchange between them. “I also have my own responsibility. I know how to run the House. This is too much. I will be forced to name you,” the Speaker warned.

Yeddyurappa then announced that he will launch an indefinite dharna in the well of the House. Two of his party legislators Guru Patil and Vishwanath Patil joined him in his dharna in the well of the House.

Marathi speech raises din

Saffron turbans were seen and Marathi words were heard in the Legislative Assembly for the first time after a gap of five years, at the session on Monday. 

Sambaji Lakshman Patil (Belgaum South) and Aravind Patil (Khanapur), Independent MLAs backed by the Maharashtra Ekikarana Samiti (MES), entered the House wearing the saffron headgear. The MES had no presence in the last Assembly.

The two MLAs walked out of the House on Day One itself, with members cutting across party affiliations taking exception to their attempt to speak in Marathi. Sambaji tried to speak in Marathi on an obituary reference in the House. Other members raised objection to it and insisted that he must speak in Kannada. He got support from Aravind, who argued in Hindi that Marathi is one of the 22 scheduled languages under the Constitution of India and that they have every right to speak in Marathi.

Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa said one is allowed to speak in the scheduled languages, including Kannada, in the Lok Sabha. Though the rule book says that a member should submit a copy of such a speech well in advance, these members have not done so. Still, it is not proper to stop them from speaking. “We should all live like brothers. Hence, they should be allowed to speak,” he stated.

But the members opposing the MLAs refused to relent. BJP leader Vishveshwara Hegde Kageri alleged that the MLAs are trying to provoke the Kannada-speaking members in the House. With most of the members opposing their move, the two MLAs chose to walk out, raising slogans.