Tipu Jayanti row halts Council proceedings for 3 hours

Crying foul over the calling attention motion on Tipu Jayanti celebrations being dropped from the agenda and demanding an immediate reply from the government on the subject, the Opposition BJP registered its long-drawn protest in the Legislative Council on Thursday.

Owing to the din, the House was adjourned thrice, halting the proceedings for nearly three hours. The BJP members withdrew their protest only after floor leader Jayamala assured them that the government would furnish its reply before the conclusion of the winter session.

On Wednesday, BJP MLC M P Sunil Subramanya had moved a calling attention motion on the government disrupting peace and harmony in state and hurting the sentiments of Kodavas by celebrating the Tipu Jayanti. Jayamala had said that Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy would reply to the same on Thursday.

But the said motion was not included in Thursday’s agenda much to the chagrin of the BJP leaders. When they raised their voice, Council Chairman Prathap Chandra Shetty said that the motion was removed from the agenda as the chief minister had sought two week’s time to furnish his reply.

Accusing the government of taking the escape route, leader of the Opposition in the Council Kota Srinivas Poojary, demanded that the reply be given by the end of the day.

Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Krishna Byre Gowda sought the cooperation of the Opposition members for discussing burning issues like drought and problems plaguing north Karnataka.

Taking a dig at the BJP for not focusing on important issues affecting the common man, Gowda said that the saffron party had not learnt its lessons even after losing the elections in five states.

He said the government was not trying to dodge the matter and that he would discuss the matter with both, the chief minister and the deputy chief minister, and will announce the government’s stand. He sought two hours’ time for the same. Unconvinced, the Opposition members trooped into the well of the House.

Attacking the BJP members, the ruling party MLCs said that they were not interested in the burning issues, and accused the BJP of disrupting the proceedings.

When the House resumed post-lunch, not a single minister was present in the House. The BJP continued with its protest, forcing the Chairman to adjourn the House again. Though the session resumed after half an hour, the BJP members didn’t turn up.

A closed chapter

Tourism Minister Sa Ra Mahesh said Tipu Jayanti was a closed chapter and that the reply would be furnished by the end of the session.

BJP MLC Tejaswini Gowda said deaths of Kodavas and Christians may not be important for the government, but it was an important issue for the BJP.

“The government should make its stand clear today itself,” she demanded. Upon the Chairman’s request the protesting members returned to their seats.

They, however, resumed their protest when some of the ruling party members took a dig at them by shouting “shame shame”. This led to the House being adjourned for the third time. The proceedings resumed only after Jayamala apologised on behalf of the ruling party members for ridiculing the BJP MLCs.