Bangalore, Jan 12 (IANS) Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) lawmakers in Karnataka Wednesday blew conches, beat ‘jagate’ (a hand-held musical instrument) and lugged a suitcase to the legislature as part of their agitation to press for the resignation of Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa over land scams.
The two houses of the state legislature saw uproarious scenes for the third straight day Wednesday as Congress and JD-S members tried to stall legislative business over issues of land scams and illegal mining that cropped up since the Bharatiya Janata Party BJP) came to power for the first time in the state in May 2008.
To highlight corruption in the BJP government, the JD-S members of the legislative council blew conches, beat ‘jagate’ and chanted ‘Govinda, Govinda’ (though it is the name of a Hindu god, it is also used to refer to swindling) before entering the house.
Their party colleagues in the assembly lugged a huge suitcase claiming it contained documents to prove the Rs.100,000-crore worth alleged swindling by the Yeddyurappa government since it came to power in 2008.
The JD-S members also brought placards into the house proclaiming the Yeddyurappa ministry as the most corrupt in Karnataka’s history.
Assembly Speaker K.G. Bopaiah ordered the marshals to confiscate the placards and take away the suitcase amid protests by JD-S members.
While JD-S and Congress members were on their feet shouting slogans against the government, Bopaiah allowed BJP legislator Suresh Gowda to move a privilege motion against JD-S leader and former chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy for comparing the happenings in the legislature to a scene in an arrack (country liquor) shop.
Protesting the move, JD-S and Congress members walked out of the house.
Bopaiah said he will refer the privilege motion to the Lok Sabha speaker as Kumaraswamy is a member of that house.
Bopaiah also rushed through the day’s legislative business ignoring slogan shouting by the opposition members and adjourned the house for the day.
Similar noisy scenes were seen in the council which was also adjourned for the day.
The 10-day session began Jan 6 and the Congress and the JD-S had planned not to allow any business till Yeddyurappa quits over allegations of favouring his close kin with allotment of prime land in and around Bangalore.
