'Will hold protests across state,' says R Ashoka calling Speaker U T Khader 'partisan'

The BJP and JD(S) on Wednesday criticised the government and Speaker U T Khader after the Legislative Assembly passed a resolution on the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) amid pandemonium.

Members of the two parties, who held an all-night dharna on Tuesday demanding the resignation of the excise minister over the excise scam, continued to protest in the Well, before staging a walkout opposing the resolution on VB-G RAM G moved by the chief minister.

“This dharna will not end here. This is a looting government and we will hold protests across the state,” leader of the Opposition R Ashoka told reporters.

Accusing the Speaker of partisan conduct, he said, “He had no courtesy towards the Opposition. We have always cooperated, but he did not show consideration as we staged a dharna the whole day”.

The leaders alleged that the dignity of the Chair was undermined.

“He was laughing when personal remarks were made against our members,” Ashoka said, alleging that the Rs 6,000 crore collected as bribes in the excise department was being “diverted for the upcoming Assembly elections in five states”.

“Taxpayers’ money is being siphoned off and used for polls. Funds embezzled in the Valmiki corporation were spent during elections in Telangana,” the LoP said.

JD(S) legislature party leader Suresh Babu said the government had “stumbled at every step” and repeatedly insulted the governor.

On the excise scam, he said, “When we raised it, the government dismissed it, saying ‘everyone has done it’. That shows how seriously they take corruption”.

“There is a department-wise ‘habba’ of collection to divert funds to other states,” he said.

Former Home Minister Araga Jnanendra termed the resolution “condemnable”.

“Two days of the legislature’s time was wasted, squandering taxpayers’ money. If the government had objections, it could have approached the Supreme Court. Instead, it is pushing a political agenda and issuing advertisements at public cost,” he said.

BJP’s Arvind Bellad said, “Programmes like Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan were launched under Atal Behari Vajpayee as PM and later the Manmohan Singh government reduced the Centre’s share from 85% to 50%. The same happened with the National Health Mission. It is standard practice for the Centre to initially encourage new schemes with more funding,” he said.

The leaders accused the government of being “thick-skinned” for refusing to accept responsibility.