The Karnataka Legislative Assembly witnessed a heated exchange of words between members of the combined Opposition BJP-JD(S) and ruling Congress over the issue of the State Cabinet withdrawing consent given to the CBI to probe disproportionate assets cases against Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar.
Opposition members sought permission from Speaker U.T. Khader to debate the issue through an adjournment motion that has censuring clause. While making preliminary submission on the admissibility of the motion sought to be moved by them, Leader of the Opposition R. Ashok argued that the government should have left the decision on withdrawal of consent to the courts, which were already looking into the issue.
He expressed concern that withdrawing consent to the CBI to probe against Mr. Shivakumar would set a bad precedent.
Matter ‘subjudice’ and ‘pertaining to an individual’
However, intervening during the preliminary submissions, Home Minister G. Parameshwara contended that the issue should not be taken up for discussion in the Assembly as it was subjudice since the matter was before the court. Also, it was an issue pertaining to an individual which did not merit discussion in the Assembly, he maintained.
This attracted the wrath of the Opposition members who wondered why the State Cabinet took it up on priority if it was just a matter pertaining to an individual. Senior BJP members V. Sunil Kumar and S. Suresh Kumar asked the government to clarify the State Cabinet’s priority.
Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao too intervened and maintained that the State Cabinet had withdrawan the consent given for probe as the erstwhile BJP government had given the consent out of political vendetta. This further escalated the heated argument between the Opposition and the ruling benches.
Finally, Speaker U.T. Khader denied permission to the Opposition to raise the issue through an adjournment motion on the grounds that the matter was before the court and that it was an issue pertaining to an individual.
In the Legislative Council
Meanwhile, even in the Legislative Council, Chairman Basavaraj Horatti did not allow the Opposition BJP to discuss the decision of the State government.
When BJP member Kota Srinivas Poojary requested the Chair to move an adjournment motion, the Chairman said that when the matter is pending before the court, discussion over the same can not be allowed. It will be a contempt of court, he added.
Law Minister H.K. Patil said rules of the House will not allow them to raise the matter by moving an adjournment motion. “It is morally, technically and legally not correct,” he said.
The matter led to arguments between the Opposition and treasury benches for sometime when the House met in the forenoon.
