Major embarassment for BJP govt as oppn defeats bill

The BJP government in Karnataka faced a major embarassment in the assembly on Friday when the opposition defeated a bill by a single vote and demanded it’s resignation on “moral” grounds.

The bill fell through after Congress pressed for a division as Minister for Religious Endowments Dr V S Acharya refused to accept its demand to defer it to the next session. When Speaker Bopaiah wanted to put the bill to voice vote, opposition Congress leader Siddaramaiah pressed for a division taking advantage of the thin attendance on the ruling side.

The Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments (Second Amendment) 2011 bill was defeated with 33 members voting in its favour and 34 against it. JD(S) and four independents voted with Congress. Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda was not present then. When Siddaramaiah demanded resignation of the government on moral grounds, Water Resources Minister Basavaraj Bommai said “leave it sir, it is only an amendment bill”.

As Acharya moved the bill, Congress leader Siddaramaiah, his deputy T B Jayachandra and H C Mahadevappa requested him and government not to push it through as they wanted a debate and suggested it be taken up in the next session. Acharya said the proposed amendments are minor in nature and in view of the legislation having already got the nod of the Legislative Council, it should be passed on Friday.

Siddaramaiah pointed out to the need for the government to keep out temples attached to mutts out of its purview and said the amendments have ‘far reaching consequences’.

He said the government has transferred Sri Krishna Mutt temple in Udupi to Ashtamaths against the verdict of the Supreme Court, which has ruled that the temple should remain a public temple and not transferred to any mutt. Similar was the case with Gokarna temple in Uttara Kannada district, which went into the hands of the Ramachandrapura mutt, he said.