The ten-day winter session of the State legislature being held in Belagavi came to an end with both Houses being adjourned sine die on Saturday. The session had commenced on December 9.
The Houses were adjourned amidst dharna by the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members in both Houses demanding permission to discuss the issue of charges against three Ministers.
In the Assembly, the BJP members resumed their overnight dharna as soon as the House met in the morning. When the protesting members did not respond to the repeated pleas to allow the proceedings, Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa adjourned the House for some time.
However, BJP members refused to withdraw their dharna even after the House re-assembled.
Taking exception to adjourning the House sine die without conceding their demand, Leader of the Opposition Jagadish Shettar said the BJP would now take its fight against the four Ministers before the people, through a State-level campaign.
Council
As BJP members continued their protest over not being given permission to discuss the issue of charges of irregularities against three Ministers, the Karnataka Legislative Council session was adjourned sine die on Saturday.
The Council’s session began on a chaotic note with Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council K.S. Eshwarappa insisting that the Council Chairman should issue ruling on two ‘point of orders’ raised by BJP members R.K. Siddaramanna and Ramachandra Gowda who had sought review of the Chairman’s decision on not allowing the discussion.
He subsequently led his party members to the well of the house saying that such a precedent would help “corrupt ministers” irrespective of party. Chaos continued even as the Chairman went ahead with completing the procedure of tabling and passing the Bills and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah gave his reply on the discussion in the council over issues concerning north Karnataka.
Expunged
He also directed the council staff to expunge the comments against Law Minister T.B. Jayachandra made by Mr. Eshwarappa on December 12 from the records, saying that they were not in good taste.
Subsequently he made an appeal to BJP members to return to their seats to allow him to conduct the day’s proceedings. With BJP members unrelenting, he placed a report of the ten-day session before the Council and announced that the session had been adjourned sine die .
