MLA turns emotional during obit reference

Kundgol MLA Kusumavati turned emotional in the Legislative Assembly on Friday when leaders cutting across party lines fondly remembered her husband, the late minister C S Shivalli, during the obituary reference.

Shivalli, 57, was a minister if the H D Kumaraswamy Cabinet when he died due to cardiac arrest in March this year. His wife Kusumavati contested the by-election and won from Kundgol, which Shivalli represented.

Water Resources Minister D K Shivakumar, who was close to Shivalli, quoted a Sanskrit subhashita on the importance of good deeds while remembering him.

Assembly Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar also made obituary references of former union minister V Dhananjay Kumar, former MLAs, K L Shivalingegowda, S S Arakeri, Damayanti Boregowda, Chennaveeraiah Shantaiah Mutthinapandimath, Vijayakumar Khandre, Gopal Bhandary, Sharadavva M Pattana, N B Nanjappa, M Satyanarayana, Sambhaji Lakshman Patil and Jnanpith awardee Girish Karnad.

While mourning Karnad’s death, Shivakumar said he had no choice but to arrange for his state funeral being the Kannada and Culture minister.

BJP’s J C Madhuswamy objected to the way Shivakumar framed that sentence. Shivakumar, who apologised, went on to justify his use of language saying he came from a village. “What can I do? This is the Kannada I know. Still, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara made me the Kannada and Culture Minister," Shivakumar said.

At this point, the Speaker intervened and joked: “Only such people are made ministers.”