Karnataka - Bangalore   

Congress thinking of legal action on Speaker's ruling

Staff Reporter

Discussion on motion of thanks unconstitutional, maintains party

MAKING A POINT: Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President M. Mallikarjun Kharge (right) addressing a press conference along with leaders of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly and Council N. Dharam Singh and H.K. Patil (left) respectivel y in Bangalore on Saturday. — Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

Bangalore: Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly N. Dharam Singh on Saturday said the party is exploring the possibility of taking legal recourse against the ruling given by the Speaker, Krishna, allowing a discussion on the motion of thanks to the Governor for his February 24 "speech" to the joint session of the legislature.

Addressing a press conference, Mr. Singh and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President M. Mallikarjun Kharge said the Speaker was wrong in allowing the discussion on the motion as it was unconstitutional.

Asked what prevented the party from going to court against such an "unconstitutional ruling," they said the party will explore the possibility.

They denied the charge made by Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy that Congress MLAs had obstructed the development of the State by raising the matter of the Speaker's ruling and not allowing the Assembly to function. The Congress, they said, did not want to be a party to an unconstitutional and illegal decision taken by the Speaker.

Mr. Singh criticised the ruling combine for being what he termed "directionless." He disagreed with a suggestion that opposing the Speaker's ruling amounted to obstructing the development of the State.

Mr. Singh and Mr. Kharge maintained that they will continue to oppose attempts by the Janata Dal (Secular)-Bharatiya Janata Party Government to violate constitutional provisions.

There was no option but to protest against the motion of thanks, as both the Speaker and the Government stuck to their unconstitutional decisions, they said.

Acting Leader of the Opposition in the Council H.K. Patil denied that the Congress, which has a strength of 45 members in the Upper House, had defeated the Karnataka Appropriation Bill, 2006 because it wanted to exhibit its numerical strength. The Congress rejected the Bill because it did not like the way in which it was tabled in the House, he said.

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