From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Jun 30: Congress opposition leader in the Karnataka legislative assembly Siddaramaiah has lambasted the BJP government headed by chief minister B S Yeddyurappa for ``insulting’’ the opposition through its controversial circular of Jue 25 directing officials not to attend meetings convened by the Opposition leaders in the Legislature.

The former deputy chief minister contended that leader of the opposition is a ``shadow Chief Minister’’ in a parliamentary democracy and the Government has insulted the institution of Leader of Opposition by issuing the circular.

Siddaramaiah said the circular issued by the chief secretary Sudhakar Rao to department heads and deputy commissioners which implied that Opposition leaders did not have powers to summon officials for meetings as ``anti-democratic’’ and demanded its immediate withdrawal.

``We will raise the issue in the ensuing state legislature session commencing from July 9 and force the government to withdraw the circular, if it did not heed the demand,’’ he warned.

With both Siddaramaiah and his counterpart in the state legislative council V S Ugrappa, who also belongs to the Congress party, threatening to move a breach of privilege motion against the chief secretary for his circular and the government firm in its resolve to resist the opposition, officials are in a dilemma on their stand. Even though the bureaucracy can expect the ruling party to back them to the hilt, the officials are unsure whether they can adopt an antagonistic position and face the consequences if the opposition manages to return to power.

Taking exception to BJP’s Bangalore North MP D B Chandre Gowda’s remark that the Opposition leaders had no right to convene meetings of officials, Siddaramaiah said the latter who he had served as leader of the opposition in the Assembly had insulted parliamentary democracy and the office of leader of the opposition.

Gowda, who had also functioned as the speaker of the state assembly and as the law and parliamentary affairs minister, had held that the Opposition leaders would suffer a ``loss of face’’ if they convened a meeting and the officials stayed away from it.

``It is the Government which is answerable in the legislature and not the Opposition,’’ he said pointing out that the ministers were administered the oath of office and secrecy and not the opposition leaders.

Even Information and Excise Minister Katta Subramanya Naidu had warned government officers against attending meetings convened by Leaders of the Opposition in the State Legislature as the government officials were duty bound to abide by the circular issued by Chief Secretary.