K'taka Council chairman says 'inevitably' adjourned house sine die

Karnataka Legislative Council Chairman K. Pratapchandra Shetty in his report to Governor Vajubhai R. Vala on Wednesday said that "inevitably" he had to adjourn the house sine die owing to the bedlam caused by the members.

Bengaluru (Karnataka): A day after Karnataka Legislative Council witnessed uproarious scenes, its Chairman, K. Pratapchandra Shetty in his report to Governor Vajubhai R. Vala on Wednesday said that "inevitably" he had to adjourn the house sine die owing to the bedlam caused by the members.

In his report, Shetty does not mention any party's name, however, he gives a detailed account of the events that led to uproarious scenes.

Shetty stated that he directed the Council secretariat to press the Quorum Bell in order to start the One day legislature session that was convened on the directions of the government on December 16.

"As per the norm, I directed the council secretariat press the Quorum Bell at 11:15 am and as I was sitting in my office, even before the Quorum Bell went off, Deputy Chairman, (S. L. Dharme Gowda) took the seat, without permission. This led to the bedlam," the report stated.

Almost all members (BJP, JD(S) and Congress) gathered around the chair and indulged in scuffling, pushing, shoving and shouting, as a result of this, the entire atmosphere of the House got disturbed completely.

"Situation went out of control to such an extent that at one stage members were indulged in manhandling as well as ready to fisticuff. As this was happening, few members thrashed the fibre glass pane that was set up on the table of the Chair shattered into pieces. Besides this, some members even tore off documents and papers that were placed on the table," the report said.

The report added that in this mayhem mike was also damaged and some members closed and even tried to lock the entrance through which generally the Chairman enters and exits whenever the house commences.

Some of the members even dragged and pushed the Deputy Chairman (Dharme Gowda) from the chair, and even after this the ruckus did not end and pandemonium continued, the report said.

When all this was happening, I was sitting in my office and watching all this on my TV set, the Council secretariat staff and officers came up to me and told me that this "situation inside the House is very grave and they too feared for their life," the chairman maintained in the report.

Therefore, under the marshals security, I entered the House, despite several appeals, members did not listen, therefore, I had to inevitably adjourn the House sine die, the chairman stated in his report.

It is worth noting here that the ruling BJP had reconvened a day long legislature session of the Council, after it was adjourned sine die on December 10. Angry over this, the ruling BJP had knocked the doors of Raj Bhavan.

BJP had earlier served a notice of no-confidence but the council chairman, Shetty had adjourned the house sine die,on December 10, saying it had not met the minimum 14 day-rule requirement.

When one-day session was reconvened on December 16, due to the mayhem, the House had to be adjourned sine die again without taking up any business on Tuesday, though the Agenda had listed to take several discussions including passage of Cow slaughter Ban Bill but had not mentioned the no-Confidence motion against the Chairman.

In the 75 member Upper house, BJP has 31, Congress has 29 including the chairman and the regional Janta Dal (Secular) has 14 members and an Independent member.

IANS