Minister Katta Cautions Officials to Keep off Opposition Leaders' Meetings
From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
BANGALORE, JUN 29: Intervening in the stand-off between the B S Yeddyurappa regime and the Congress opposition leaders over the BJP government’s recent circular to all government officials to keep off the meetings convened by the recognised opposition leaders, Karnataka’s information minister KattaSubramanya Naidu cautioned the officials not to flout the government’s directive.
Naidu said government officials were duty-bound to abide by the June 25 circular issued by Chief Secretary Sudhakar Rao and held that it would be ``illega’’ for them to attend meetings convened the leaders of Opposition in the state legislature.
While conceding the point that the recognised opposition leaders in the two houses of state legislature enjoyed cabinet minister’s rank and perks, the minister refused to be drawn into a debate on the propriety of the Leaders of the Opposition convening meetings of Government officials.
"I will not make any comments on their right or the absence of it to convene meetings of Government officials,’’ he said pointing out that all officials were duty-bound to obey the circular issued by the chief secretary, who is the head of state bureaucracy.
Naidu also sought to reassure the officials that the Government would protect them from any form reprisal or retaliation by the Opposition leaders. The Government will stand by the officials in the event of the Opposition moving a privilege motion against them, he claimed.
BJP’s Bangalore North MP, D B Chandre Gowda, who was also present on the occasion, said Opposition leaders had no right convene meetings of officials either by Constitution or by convention.
Gowda, who had served as a former law and parliamentary affairs minister besides being a speaker of the state assembly and leader of the opposition, asserted, ``It is common sense for the Opposition leaders to refrain from convening meetings of officials’’
He felt Opposition leaders would suffer a "loss of face" if they convened a meeting and Government officials stayed away from it. ``It is the Government, which is answerable in the Legislature and not the Opposition,’’ he said.
"The Opposition leaders are not sworn to secrecy as ministers in the Government,’’ he said pointing out that they can obtain details from the Government officials informally and can never convene formal meetings.
The controversy, however, is bound to linger on especially with the state legislature scheduled to meet for its monsoon session from July 9 onwards. With Siddaramaiah and H D Revanna becoming the Congress and JD(S) legislature party leaders in the state assembly after the lok sabha elections and the opposition Congress led b y V S Ugrappa and JD(S) under former law minister M C Nanaiah enjoying a numerical superiority over the ruling BJP in the upper house, the Yeddyurappa regime is expected to run into a lot of rought weather over the issue.