From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Jul 15: The Opposition BJP and JD(S) members, who staged a night-long dharna in the Karnataka State Legislative Assembly on Wednesday demanding the resignation of Bangalore Development Minister K J George over the suicide of Mangaluru Deputy Superintendent of Police M K Ganapati, continued their protest for the entire day on Thursday. Members of both opposition parties resorted to dharna in the Legislative Council on Thursday, and in the process forced the adjournment of both houses of State Legislature.
However, the Siddaramaiah regime introduced some legislative bills despite the dharna and protests by the Opposition members.
The day began with the Opposition parties in the Lower House continuing their dharna in the Assembly to press their demand for the resignation of George and also insisting on a CBI probe in the entire episode as the DySP had alleged in a television interview hours before ending his life that the then Home Minister, DGP PranobMohanty and IGP Intelligence A M Prasad must be held responsible if anything were to happen to him.
As the Assembly met, BJP and JD(S) members entered the well of the House and shouted slogans against the Siddaramaiah Government after staging the overnight dharna, which they had launched yesterday, rejecting the judicial probe announced by the Chief Minister during his reply to the debate on the issue.
Refusing to give in to the BJP’s demand for a CBI probe, Siddaramaiah had said the case would be probed by a judicial commission headed by a retired High Court judge, even while dismissing the call for George’s resignation, saying there was not even an iota of evidence against him.
Slamming State Government’s decision to hand over the inquiry to a judicial commission and not to drop George, Opposition BJP LeaderJagadishShettar said, “the government is insensitive and arrogant.”
Shettaralleged that honest officials had no security under the Congress government and demanded to know why Siddaramaiah was showing “special affection” towards George.
Ganapathy (51) was found hanging from a ceiling fan in a room at a lodge in Madikeri on July 7, prior to which he gave an interview to a local TV channel, saying the minister and A M Prasad (IG—Intelligence) and Pranab Mohanty (IGP—Lokayukta) would be responsible “if anything happens to me.”
Intervening as opposition continued its protest, Law Minister T B Jayachandra said a judicial inquiry has been ordered and one has to wait for its findings.
As the ruckus continued, Speaker K B Koliwad adjourned the house for some time.
When the House met later, the unrelenting Opposition members continued with their protest shouting slogans “George go back“.
Amidst the din, the Speaker allowed Ministers to table four bills, even as Shettar objected to this, citing that the House was not in order to conduct proceedings.
Once the bills were tabled, the Speaker adjourned the House for lunch and called floor leaders for a meeting.
The Karnataka Legislative Council was also adjourned till tomorrow, following a similar protest and dharna by the Opposition BJP and JD(S).