The Karnataka legislative Assembly plunged into pandemonium on the second day on July 4 after the opposition BJP staged a dharna in the well of the House, alleging that the Congress government led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had ‘deceived’ people of the State by ‘not implementing’ five guarantees promised in its poll manifesto.
The trouble began when Speaker U.T. Khader did not allow former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to move an adjournment motion seeking a debate on non-implementation of five guarantees by the Congress government.
The BJP sought postponement of the scheduled Question Hour and Zero Hour listed in the agenda. As soon as Question Hour started, Mr. Bommai appealed to the Speaker to give him an opportunity to make a preliminary submission on non-implementation of guarantees, including free electricity up to 200 units under Gruha Jyothi, 10 kg of rice each to BPL family members and Antyodaya card-holders under Anna Bhagya scheme, and ₹2,000 to women head of household under Gruha Lakshmi scheme.
When the Speaker turned down Mr. Bommai’s demand, BJP members rushed to the well of the House and staged a dharna. They shouted slogans against the Congress government alleging ‘dhoka government has given dhoka Shivakumar and dhoka to U.T. Khader, and dhoka to the people’.
'Unable to tolerate'
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that when he was the Leader of Opposition, he had not been allowed to move an adjournment motion before Question Hour. Mr. Siddaramaiah asked the Speaker not to concede to the BJP’s demand.
Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said the opposition was not able to tolerate implementation of guarantees, and said the people voted out BJP for non-performance.
As Congress and BJP members engaged in an argument, the Speaker adjourned the House for 15 minutes. The Speaker met Mr Siddaramaiah and BJP members, but the meetings did not yield a positive result. Despite several appeals by the Speaker to withdraw the protest, BJP members continued their dharna and sloganeering.
Amidst the pandemonium, Mr Khader completed the Question Hour, and allowed Ministers to table papers related to various subjects in the House.
Mr Bommai and Mr Ashok said the Congress government has no right to continue in office without implementation of its guarantees, and asked the Speaker to allow them to speak on the government’s failure in executing guarantees.
JD(S) joins BJP in criticising Congress
JD(S) members too joined the dharna when K.M. Shivalinge Gowda (Congress) raised the issue of falling prices of coconut. Mr Gowda blamed the BJP for its failure to ensure a reasonable price for coconut, and complained that farmers have been facing financial distress owing to a crash in prices.
Former Chief Minister and JD(S) floor leader H.D. Kumaraswamy countered Mr Gowda’s statement claiming that the Congress has promised ₹15,000 per quintal of coconuts.
Mr Gowda had quit the JD(S) and joined the Congress before the Karnataka Assembly elections in May 2023.
Session extended till July 21
The ongoing budget session has been extended by five days. The session, which was supposed to end on July 14, will now end on July 21. A decision to this effect was taken at the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting of the House on July 4.
Announcing the decision of the BAC, Speaker U. T. Khader told the Assembly that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will reply to the debate on the motion of thanks to the Governor’s address to the joint session of the State legislature on July 6.
