Porngate fusillade comes in handy for Opposition
The Congress and the JD(S) - which have practically been provided a new ammunition to fight against the BJP following the porn scandal - met Governor H R Bhardwaj on Thursday seeking the dismissal of the BJP government.
The Congress appealed to the Governor to invoke Article 356 of the Constitution, recommend dismissal of the BJP government and keep the House in suspended animation.
Congress leaders Siddaramaiah, G Parameshwara, Motamma and others submitted a memorandum to Bhardwaj following the government’s refusal to disqualify former ministers Lakshman Savadi, C C Patil and Krishna Palemar from the Assembly membership.
The leaders said the trio, who were caught watching porn when the House was debating the drought, had made the State Legislature a laughing stock.
The party said the trio should be stripped of their Assembly membership. But the Speaker refused to do so to avoid further embarrassment to the government, thus exhibiting a partisan attitude.He has, instead, constituted a six-member committee to inquire into the matter. The Speaker has thereby shirked his responsibility, the Congress said.
”These acts and the conduct of the Speaker are a failure of the constitutional machinery,” the Congress leaders said, urging that the Governor initiate steps to uphold the traditions of democracy.
The JD(S) legislature party members, led by M C Nanaiah and H D Revanna, submitted a memorandum to Bhardwaj, seeking dismissal of the BJP government in the wake of the ministers being caught watching porn clippings in the Assembly.
Speaking to reporters after meeting the Governor, Nanaiah said the government was not functioning as per constitutional provisions. “The BJP is incapable of running the administration. The Governor has to recommend dismissal of the government,” he said.
The JD(S) demanded that all three BJP MLAs involved in the porngate scandal should be disqualified from the Assembly. “The BJP is protecting them. Speaker Bopaiah is acting in a partisan manner. He has curbed the Opposition members’ rights in the House,” Nanaiah said.
