Ruckus in Assembly: Nine MLAs file replies

They argued that the issue of creating ruckus in the Assembly did not arise when the House itself was not in order.

Eight Congress and one JD(S) MLAs have responded to the notices. Those who had not submitted their replies had to appear before the committee, meeting in Bangalore on Thursday. Ranjan said the committee would go through the notices and decide the future course of action.

N A Haris, Congress MLA, said the floor test was not conducted properly on October 11. Many non-members of the House were present in the Assembly and police officers in uniform were in the Assembly hall. The Governor had asked the Speaker to conduct the floor test again and he (Speaker) had agreed to it. “The fact that Speaker conducted the test for the second time proved that he (Speaker) admitted that the House was not in order. Then where is the question of obstructing the House proceedings,” he said.

Speaker K G Bopaiah adjourned to Thursday hearing on a petition filed by two voters of Kolar Assembly constituency seeking disqualification of their MLA Varthur Prakash under anti-defection law.

The petitioners contended that Varthur had supported the BJP soon after the 2008 Assembly election. He was made the Chairman of the Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board.

Later he shunned the BJP and supported the JD(S) only to return to the BJP, the petitioners contended seeking his disqualification.