Congress boycotts state assembly session

Congress, the main opposition party in Karnataka, today decided to boycott the legislative assembly session demanding the resignation of Speaker K G Bopaiah. Amidst walkout by the party legislators on the second day of the ongoing session, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party government conducted official business including debate on demands for grants pertaining to three departments.

The Karnataka Land Revenue (Amendment) Bill, 2011, The Karnataka State Minorities Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2011 and The Karnataka State Innovative Universities Bill, 2011, were introduced in the assembly. Later, the Speaker adjourned the House to Monday.

With the Congress deciding to boycott the session, the BJP government is facing the prospect of passing bills in front of empty opposition benches. JD(S) has already decided against any participation in the house. With this, there are possibilities that the government may curtail the legislature session much before its scheduled end on June 15.

Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah justifying decision of the boycott said, “K G Bopaiah has degraded Speaker’s position by not giving an opportunity to make preliminary submission on Congress’s move to adjournment motion on Thursday. The way Yeddyurappa and Bopaiah are conducting themselves is a dangerous trend to whole democratic set up. So, the Congress Legislature Party has decided to boycott ongoing session.”

Attacking the government for describing the SC’s judgment on the disqualification of 16 MLAs as only observations, Siddaramaiah said, “Has SC defined what is observation or stricture? When the court has used strong words like extraneous consideration, violated principle of natural justice, attitude and partisan — it is nothing but stricture. He (Bopaiah) has no moral right to sit in Speaker’s chair.”

Meanwhile, the ruling BJP is hopeful of breaking this deadlock as they feel that conducting the session without the presence of the Opposition parties would be meaningless. State Law Minister Suresh Kumar is likely to meet Opposition party leaders Siddaramaiah and H D Revanna urging them to attend the legislature session.