Oppn prevents Governor from addressing joint legislature session

Mtoday news

Bangalore, Jan 6 : Opposition Congress and JD-S today prevented Governor H R Bhardwaj from making the customary address to the joint session of Karnataka legislature, signalling a stepped up confrontation with the BJP government.

 

As soon as the Governor started reading out the address, marking the beginning of the ten-day session, the opposition members were on their feet, urging him not to read it.

The current session is the first since the Yeddyurappa Government won a vote of confidence on two occasions in October.

In the wake of the ruling BJP calling Bhardwaj an "agent of Congress" and vandalising his office, Congress said the governor should not read the speech drafted by the "corrupt" BJP government and rubbished the document as a pack of lies.

"BJP has dubbed you as an agent of the Congress. Your office has been vandalised. We sincerely request you not to read out the address prepared by the corrupt government, as it is a pack of lies," Opposition Congress leader Siddaramaiah said.

He sought to clarify his party’s opposition to the Governor’s address saying, "It is not against the Governor, not against the Constitutional institution. It is against the corrupt government."

Some members also demanded dismissal of the Yeddyurappa ministry.

The Governor continued to stand for a couple of minutes as the opposition members pressed him not to go ahead with the speech. He then said he is laying the address on the table, treating it as read.

The entire proceedings lasted less than five minutes after which the House was adjourned for the day.

The Governor has in recent weeks been highly critical of the Government accusing it of not acting on complaints of corruption and land scams, raising the hackles of the BJP which has dubbed him as a "Congress agent".