Parties turn the heat on three ministers in Assembly

Three ministers of the Siddaramaiah government on Thursday came under severe criticism from members across all parties in the Assembly for not giving satisfactory answers.

Horticulture Minister Shamanur Shivashankarappa, Medical Education Minister Sharanprakash Patil and Health Minister U T Khader had to cut a sorry figure when Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa and some ruling party members hit out at them.

Khader’s statement that mere raising of voice by members in the House will not make doctors available at government hospitals triggered a protest by BJP members. Members across party lines took exception to the Health minister’s remark.

“I have written a letter to you (Health minister) on the problem. The government must do something to solve the problem,” Thimmappa stated. BJP members protested, saying that doctors were not available for even conducting post mortem.

Patil was caught on the wrong foot when a senior Congress leader sought to know whether any of the eight deemed universities in the State was blacklisted before. When Patil gave a vague answer, Ramesh Kumar warned that he would move a privilege motion against the minister for giving a wrong answer.

The Speaker asked the minister to collect information properly and give correct answers.
When Patil said deemed university status was given by the previous BJP government, BJP leader C T Ravi took objection and claimed that it was done by the Congress in the past.
The Opposition stalled the proceedings when Horticulture Minister Shivashankarappa refused to clarify on issues raised by them.

“This is a deaf and dumb government. Why don’t you change the minister, if he can’t hear what we say?,” BJP members said.

The Horticulture minister did not even get up from his seat to defend himself. When Agriculture Minister Krishna Byregowda offered to clarify on issues related to Horticulture department, the opposition members took objection to it. When Shivashankarappa refused to budge, the BJP members staged a walkout.