Money bills sail through in Council amid uproar

The government on Wednesday managed to ensure the passage of the money bills in the Legislative Council without yielding to the Opposition’s persistent demand to submit the controversial report on the encroachment of Wakf properties.

Sources in the Secretariat said Governor Vajubhai Vala had on Monday directed the government to cite the reasons for not submitting the report in the Upper House. He had given 24 hours to submit the reply. The government had, however, initially bought two days time to reply. On Wednesday, it again sought one more day from the Governor. But interestingly, the Council was adjourned sine die after approving all the bills related to the 2016-17 State budget.

Opposition parties, the BJP and the JD (S), have been accusing the government of trying to protect senior Congress leaders by not submitting the report prepared by the State Minorities Commission. The report has indicted the ruling party leaders, including those who are currently ministers in the Siddaramaiah Cabinet, and recommended action against them. The government refused to place the report despite Council Chairman D H Shankaramurthy’s ruling to do so. Both the Opposition parties had complained to the Governor in this regard.

Members of the Opposition, who had been staging dharna for the last two days on the issue, continued their protest in the Council on Wednesday. But Chief Minister Siddaramaiah went ahead with his reply on the budget discussion. Subsequently, the Appropriation Bill and other consequential Bills were passed amid pandemonium in the House. And the Opposition parties, who have the majority in the House, however, did not seek voting on the money bills.

Members of the ruling party and the Opposition indulged in a heated discussion and accused each other of shielding the corrupt.

Opposition leader K S Eshwarappa charged Siddaramaiah with protecting those who grabbed the Wakf properties, while the chief minister said nobody could match the BJP leaders as far as corruption was concerned.

BJP’s G Madhusudan said his party would raise the issue in the next session, which is likely to be held in June. Till then, nothing will happen. The government should have replied to the Governor on Tuesday. But it bought one more day. It may have to give its explanation on Thursday, he added.

When contacted, Shankaramurthy described the issue as the first of its kind in the country and said he had no idea how to deal with the situation. “It is perhaps for the first time a government has refused to obey the ruling of the Chairman. The government had committed itself to submitting the report. But it has failed do so. It will hopefully do so in the next session,” he added.