BSY, Siddaramaiah lock horns over comment on Speaker

Immediately after Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa put his weight behind BJP leaders criticising Leader of Opposition in Legislative Assembly Siddaramaiah alleging that he showed disrespect to the chair of the Speaker, Siddaramaiah hit back, saying, "I need not learn from Yediyurappa, and there is no question of apologising as I have not committed any mistake".

After Yediyurappa and Siddaramaiah came to Hubballi by the same flight on Saturday, Yediyurappa told media persons that Siddaramaiah should apologise to the people of the State for using singular term while referring Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri.

Nobody made such light remarks about the Speaker, and people would teach a befitting lesson to Siddaramaiah. At least now, he should mind his language. A privilege motion would be moved against him if he does not apologise, Yediyurappa said.

Later, Siddaramaiah replied that he is in active politics since the last 40 years, and he knows how to respect the Speaker.

"Is it wrong to say that the Speaker did not allow to the Leader of Opposition to speak? There is no question of apologising. Let them move a privilege motion in the House, and we will face that," he noted.

Yediyurappa stated that flood relief works are taken up satisfactorily, and there is no shortage of funds. But, Siddaramaiah opined that flood relief amount has not reached all the affected people. He also said people are waiting to teach a lesson to the BJP for not handling the flood situation properly.

'No change plan'

"As far as I know, there is no plan to change the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president. Congress high-command would take a decision about giving any position to former minister D K Shivakumar," Siddaramaiah said.

We are making preparations for the Assembly by-elections, and candidates would be announced after the Supreme Court gives the judgement in the case of disqualified MLAs, he added.