Date:15/02/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/02/15/stories/2007021514770400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Congress's dharna hits business in Assembly

Karnataka Bureau

The party is demanding election to the post of Council Chairman

Bangalore: The Legislative Assembly did not transact any official business on Wednesday with the Congress members continuing with their indefinite dharna demanding the election to the post of the Chairman of the Legislative Council.

The Government on Tuesday had sought a day's time to give its reply on this matter and with Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy away in New Delhi to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the decision of the Government was delayed.

Even as the Congress members commenced their dharna, Speaker Krishna adjourned the House twice for brief periods, and thereafter adjourned the House for the day.

In the Council, another seven members of the Congress were directed by the officiating Chairman N. Thippanna to stay out of the House after they raised slogans against the presiding officer.

On Tuesday, 26 members of the Congress were directed to stay away from the proceedings. Thereafter, for the first time during the current session, the Council commenced with the business listed for the day.

The members who were served with the order were B.K. Chandrashekhar, M.D. Ramesh Raju, Shubhalatha Asnotikar, S.M. Shankar, Nasir Ahmed, S. Ravi and R.V. Venkatesh.

They objected to Mr. Thippanna presiding over the House in violation of the Constitutional norms. Some of them even addressed Mr. Thippanna by name and questioned the legal sanctity of conducting the business of the House in the absence of the elected Deputy Chairman Sachidanand L. Khot, who is indisposed following an accident.

Mr. Thippanna repeatedly warned the agitating members not to disturb the House. Sensing that Congress members were not in mood to respond, he pronounced the order. Basavaraj Bommai and M.P. Nadagouda appealed to Mr. Thippanna to hold discussions with the Congress leaders and sort out the issue in the interest of maintaining the honour and dignity of the Council. Mr. Thippanna said that he was pained by the attitude of the Opposition members.