Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)
Bengaluru, Mar 23: The Congress and the ruling BJP are engaged in a tug-of-war over the issue of adjourning the legislative session because of coronavirus effect that is sweeping the state.
The government had decided to hold the budget session for a marathon one month after a gap of several years. The session is progressing without any problem. But the Congress has been insisting that in the best interests of everyone concerned, and to avoid passing infection from one another, the best option is to adjourn the current session.
Congress says that thousands of people gather at the session including about 300 legislators and government officials, policemen, journalists and others. The Vidhana Soudha becomes a crowded place and if coronavirus infection takes places, it would be impossible to stop its spread, it argues. For this reason, the Congress leaders have been insistent that the session should be adjourned.
Veteran Congress leader, H K Patil, had made this demand in the house during the second week of this month. But the BJP says that the session will go on as scheduled till March 31. It had begun on March 2.
When Madhya Pradesh government had proposed to adjourn the session citing coronavirus effect, the BJP had vehemently opposed the proposal. Therefore, adjournment will create doubts in the minds of the people and the people might lose faith in the steps being taken by the government to handle coronavirus infection. Therefore the BJP feels that continuing to hold the session would be the right thing.
State home minister, Basavaraj Bommai, says that the session will continue till March 31 and no decision to truncate it has been taken. Chief whip of the opposition in the assembly, Dr Ajay Singh, pointed out that despite restrictions being in place, people to continue crowd the Vidhana Soudha when sessions are on. He said that the state has locked down nine districts because of coronavirus. He said that after discussing the issue with Siddaramaiahi, a request would be placed before the speaker and the government to adjourn the session.
It is said that the business advisory committee of the house will meet today where a final decision might be taken.