Opposition members today stalled proceedings for the entire day in the Karnataka Assembly demanding a discussion on corruption charges against the BJP government and the resignation of Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa.
Congress and JD(S) members trooped into the well of the house and sat on a dharna after Speaker K G Bopaiah rejected their notice for adjournment motion on alleged corruption and land scams in the pre-lunch session.
The government contended that the issue did not merit discussion under the adjournment motion, but persisting with their demands that also included a CBI probe, the Opposition continued their dharna in the post-lunch session, prompting Bopaiah to adjourn the House for the day.
Yeddyurappa and Law Minister S Suresh Kumar said government was ready for a discussion on the issues being raised by the Opposition during the debate on motion of thanks to the governor for his address, but it was flatly rejected by Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah (Congress). “The wealth of the state is being looted by this government. Thousands of crores have been looted. Corruption is rampant and illegal mining is going on unabated. People will not pardon the opposition parties, if they fail to discuss these issues on the floor of the House,” Siddaramaiah said.
“You can’t dictate to us,” Yeddyurappa retorted. Bopaiah promised to give sufficient time to opposition to discuss corruption issues during the debate on the motion of thanks to the governor for his address but turned down their plea for re-considering his ruling on disallowing the adjournment motion.
After his plea for calling off the dharna fell on deaf ears of the Opposition, he adjourned the house for the day with about 20-minute post-lunch sitting.
The BJP paralysed the parliament for 23 days demanding Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into 2G spectrum issue and even demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh even when there was no allegation against him, Siddaramaiah said.
Earlier as soon as the House met, Siddaramaiah made his preliminary submission on the adjournment motion, but Law Minister Kumar rose on a point of order and said the issues did not fulfil the criteria for discussion under the adjournment motion.
