Legislative Assembly Speaker U T Khader and Legislative Council Chairman Basavaraj Horatti inspect Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi on Friday.
Credit: DH Photo
Belagavi: After repeated disruptions in the Upper House over the alleged lathi charge on those taking part in a protest seeking reservation for Panchamasalis, chairperson Basavaraj Horatti on Thursday promised to allow the Opposition members to raise the issue as a calling-attention motion on Friday.
Horatti directed leader of the House N S Boseraju and Law Minister H K Patil to make a detailed statement on the matter, with details on those who were injured.
Upset over Opposition members protesting in front of the Chair and also members from both sides entering into heated arguments despite his appeals, Horatti said he had ‘gone out of his way’ to allow members to discuss the sensitive matter for more than an hour.
Yet, the two sides were arguing with each other, instead of having fruitful discussions.
Leader of the Opposition Narayanaswamy, Boseraju, Patil and other senior members assured him that they would co-operate with the Chair and obey his directions.
Narayanaswamy said they were upset with the ruling party for not apologising to the Panchamasali agitators and failing to give clarity on the hospitals where the injured persons were admitted to.
“When the government failed to give proper answers, we had no option but to protest in the Well of he House. There was no intent to show disrespect to the Chair,” he said. He insisted that the government must withdraw cases booked against the agitators.