Sharath's breach of privilege motion: Bommai seeks report

Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday said he would seek a report from the Superintendent of Police of Bengaluru Rural district on whether or not protocol was violated in not inviting Hoskote MLA Sharath Bachegowda to a government event last week.

Sharath, who moved a breach of privilege motion in the Assembly, said the Hoskote city municipal council commissioner had violated protocol by not giving him prior intimation of a government event that was held on Saturday, January 30.

As per protocol, the local MLA should preside over a government function.

“The CMC commissioner came to me on Friday and invited me to the event that was being held the next morning. For courtesy’s sake, I was neither invited a few days in advance nor was my availability checked. I asked for the event to be postponed, but that didn’t happen,” Sharath said, adding that he had been humiliated.

The police had to resort to lathicharge after Sharath’s followers clashed with the supporters of Municipal Administration Minister M T B Nagaraj. Sharath and Nagaraj are arch-rivals.

In 2018, Nagaraj was with the Congress when he defeated Sharath, who was then with the BJP. Nagaraj defected to the BJP and lost the December 2019 bypoll to Sharath, who contested as an independent. Sharath is now set to join the Congress.

“Our government isn’t ready to allow the privilege of any member to be breached. Such instances happen all the time. We will have to examine what exactly happened. I will get a report from the SP. I will submit the report to the Speaker,” Bommai said.