From Our Special Correspondent
BANGALORE, JUL 27: The alleged surveillance of Congress opposition leader in the Karnataka legisative council by state intelligene sleuths was referred to the house privilege committee for inquiry on Monday.
The Congress leader raised the issue in the house during zero hour and alleged that the state intelligence agencies were keeping a tab on his activities and tours and collecting personal information about him, thereby preventing him from effectively functioning.
The deputy chairman Puttanna, who was in the chair, accepted Ugrappa’s demand and referred the matter to the privileges panel.
Ugrappa alleged that two police constables from the Intelligence Wing had visited his native village, Venkatapura, in Pavagada taluk on July 18 and spoken to his mother, close relatives and friends to elicit information related to various issues including his property, annual income as also that of his political aides
They had also collected information on his visits to his native place and his contacts there. The police had threatened those refusing to divulge information and had left their mobile numbers with them for forwarding additional information, he said.
When he called the numbers that were left with the family members and contacts, Ugrappa said the constables told him that they had been asked to collect the information by the Madhugiri Sub-inspector, Sathyanarayanaswamy. The Tumkur SP had also confirmed that information was being collated on the direction of the state intelligence wing, he claimed.
Ugrappa took serious exception to such activities of the police and said it tantamounted to breach of his privilege as a member of the Council.
``This is a conspiracy of the government to prevent him from effectively functioning as leader of the Opposition,’’ he said.
JD(S) leader and former minister M C Nanaiah said the intelligence wing had been used to check the antecedents of the current law and parliamentary affairs minister Suresh Kumar in connection with a function of the judiciary that he was scheduled to attemd. The government should put an end to the misuse of the police machinery, he demanded.
Home minister Dr V S Acharya, who is also the leader of the housed, denied the allegations and said the government had not ordered any such collection of information.
However, when the Opposition members insisted on his clarification for specific allegation that the police had visited Ugrappa’s village, Dr Acharya said the government had no objection to referring the matter to the privilege committee.
Meanwhile, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister S Suresh Kumar, in the Legislative Assembly, strongly defended, the circular directing officials against attending meetings convened by the Leaders of the Opposition in the state legislature.
Replying to the preliminary submission by Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah on his adjournment motion demanding withdrawal of the circular, the minister said the circular issued by the Chief Secretary on June 25, 2009 was in keeping with the "norms and practices" in many states.
He said a similar circular had been issued on December 6, 1985 by the then Chief Secretary T R Satish Chandran stating that review meetings can be held only by Ministers and officials and not MLAs. The December 6, 1985 circular had cited a couple of circulars issued earlier as a precedent to prevent the MLAs from holding review meetings.
The minister contended that the Leaders of the Opposition in other states including Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and West Bengal too do not enjoy the power to convene meetings of officials. Reading out a letter dated July 1, 2009, sent by the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Secretariat to the State Government, he said ``as far as Tamil Nadu is concerned, no rules or power have been given to the Leader of the Opposition to convene meetings of officials.’’
The chief minister B S Yeddyurappa, who intervened in the debate, challenged the opposition to quote a single instance of similar powers and privileges being given to Opposition leaders when they were in power to the opposition leaders at the Centre or in the states. Instead of wasting time on an irrelevant issues, he requested them to initiate debate on the budget for which the session had been convened.
Dissatisfied with the government’s stand, the Opposition Congress and JD (S) members trooped into the well of the House and shouted slogans against the Government for denigrating the institution of the Leader of the Opposition.