Bengaluru, Jul 18 (PTI) Opposition BJP and JD(S) in Karnataka on Thursday staged a walkout from the Legislative Assembly in protest against the absence of Ministers in the House, which also saw Speaker U T Khader admonishing the ruling side stating that their behaviour is bringing a bad name to the government.
As the House met for the day, Leader of Opposition R Ashoka and several senior BJP legislators pointed at the empty front rows of treasury benches, questioned the government, and asked the Speaker U T Khader to take note of it.
When the ruling side chief whip Ashok Pattan noted that a few Ministers were in the Legislative Council and asked the Chair to continue with the proceedings as three-four Ministers were present in the House, opposition leaders demanded that the Speaker call out the names of the Ministers who are supposed to be present in the Assembly today.
They also questioned why proceedings did not start on the scheduled time.
Khader told Pattan: “don’t tell stories here, those (Ministers) who have to come, have to be here.” Pattan expressed his helplessness noting that he too has been making calls to ensure attendance of the Ministers.
Ashoka asked Pattan to “resign as chief whip and become Minister.” Some BJP MLAs alleged that Congress legislators and Ministers have “lost” discipline and have no value for the Speaker, and asked the Chair to adjourn the House for some time.
Pattan said senior Ministers like H C Mahadevappa were present and will take note of the proceedings, and the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will reply to the discussion on ‘Valmiki Scam’.
Ashoka said: “upset with the ruling party’s conduct… we spend crores of rupees for the Assembly session…what is the problem with Ministers? Why can’t they come to the House? Condemning their irresponsible behaviour, we walk out in protest. We have sympathy for the Chair.” Congress MLAs including Sharath Bache Gowda alleged that the opposition doesn’t want the House to function and they were “doing politics for media consumption.” They asked the Chair to continue with the proceedings.
Khader said everyone should understand their responsibility; there is nothing wrong in the opposition’s allegations, as Congress too would have done the same thing if it was in opposition.
“When the government is functioning well, by not coming on time to the House, the Ministers — those absent — were bringing bad name to the government,” he said.
Congress MLA Raju Kage tried to defend Ministers stating that people of several constituencies along with their MLAs would have come to meet them and it might have caused the delay.
To this, Khader, noting that he too has been a five time MLA, said: “Ministers have to come on time, when session is scheduled, keeping aside everything Ministers and Members should be present in the House. If you say you want to attend the Assembly, people of the constituency won’t object. They will wait. You have to manage time.” Ministers coming late cannot be defended, he further said, and advised them not to keep any meetings during the session.
Mahadevappa, while accepting that Ministers should be present in the House, noted that the Ministers present in the House will take note of issues raised by opposition and would reply to each issue raised. “Such things have happened when BJP was in power too.” Later on returning to the House, Ashoka took strong exception to comments by some ruling party MLAs that BJP staged the walk out for media consumption.
“The front and second rows are almost empty, Ministers are not here, this is not good,” he said.
Senior BJP MLA Suresh Kumar said, almost an hour into the House’s scheduled meeting for the day, several Ministers’ seats are still empty. “Ruling side chief whip is helpless, how should the House function? We the opposition have to provide quorum, Ministers won’t come, call the Ministers, what has happened to them? The Chief Whip is helpless, the ruling party is hopeless.” PTI KSU RS RS
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