The Karnataka legislative assembly today passed six bills including the budget for 2011-12 even as opposition parties continued their boycott of the extended budget session for the third consecutive day.
When the house commenced its business this morning, speaker K G Bopaiah took up the question hour. Later the members of the ruling BJP approved the passage of six bills including the Karnataka Appropriation Bill, 2011, which enables the government to spend Rs 87,737 crore from the Consolidated Fund of Karnataka for financial year 2011-12.
Other bills passed by the house are: Karnataka Land Revenue (Amendment) Bill, 2011; Karnataka State Minorities Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2001; Karnataka Panchayat Raj (Amendment) Bill, 2011; Karnataka State Innovative Universities Bill, 2011 and Karnataka (Regional Laws) Dissolution Bill, 2011.
The opposition today continued their boycott of the Legislative Assembly proceedings, demanding resignation of Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa and Speaker K G Bopaiah in view of “strictures” passed against them by Supreme Court while quashing the disqualification of 16 MLAs.
JD (Secular) had announced it would boycott the entire session. Congress is staying away from the proceedings since Friday last. The session began on June 2.
The government’s stand is that the apex court had not passed strictures, but only made certain observations on the disqualification order passed by Bopaiah.
As the House met today, Bopaiah said, in a democracy participation of opposition is needed in debates and while passing of bills, and appealed to them to return to the House to discuss budget. Chief Minister Yeddyurappa also joined him in appealing to the Opposition to participate in the Session to contribute their views on important issues.
Three independent MLAs — P M Narendra Swamy, Venkataramanappa and Shivaraj S Thangadagi — argued that it’s not a “good tradition” to conduct proceedings, particularly passing bills, in the absence of opposition, and staged a walkout.
After the question hour, the ruling party moved a resolution against police action on the night of June 4, 2011 on Yoga guru Baba Ramdev and his supporters. The resolution was moved by labour minister B N Bache Gowda who said the Centre was trying to suppress a valid voice of people against corruption.
Yeddyurappa and state BJP president Eeshwarappa who spoke on this occasion sought an apology from the Central government for wielding batons and using tear gas against peaceful demonstrators.
The Speaker thereafter resolved that police action against Ramdev should be condemned with strongest words and sought apology from the Central government for police action.
