Will take demand for Yeddyurappa’s resignation to streets: Opposition
By IANSThursday, January 13, 2011
BANGALORE - Intensifying the demand for Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa’s resignation over land scandals, the Congress and Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) members Thursday walked out of the assembly and staged a sit-in outside.
The opposition members walked out protesting an assembly panel report that has recommended suspension of 15 opposition legislators for their “unruly behaviour” in the house in October last when Yeddyurappa sought a trust vote.
The panel, set up by Speaker K.G. Bopaiah, wants eight of these legislators suspended for one year and seven for six months. They are also to be denied entry to the legislature and many facilities enjoyed by a legislator.
Calling the recommendation of suspension ‘murder of democracy’ by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, the Congress and JD-S said they would take the battle against Yeddyurappa’s government to the streets.
Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah of Congress led his party and JD-S members out of the house. All of them stated a ‘dharna’ (sit-in protest) outside the state secretariat, Vidhana Soudha, that houses the legislature.
Earlier as soon as the house met, the Congress and JD-S members tried to stall the proceedings insisting on their adjournment motion to discuss land scam charges against Yeddyurappa and alleged illegal mining by mining magnates and ministers, the Reddy brothers. Among the brothers, the younger G. Janardhana Reddy is the tourism minister and the elder G. Karunakara Reddy holds the revenue portfolio.
Bopaiah, who has rejected accepting the adjournment motion, conducted the day’s proceedings amid slogan shouting by Congress and JD-S members.
The opposition wants the motion to be allowed under rule 60 of the assembly business procedure. Under this rule regular business is suspended and discussion taken up on any ‘urgent matter of public importance’. It entails voting on the motion at the end of the discussions.
Thursday was the fourth straight day of disruption in the assembly. The 10-day session began Jan 6.
