Bharatiya Janata Party Legislature Party (BJPLP) approached Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot and lodged a complaint against the alleged misuse of around 25 IAS officers as protocol officers for political leaders for the Opposition meet held in the city on July 17 and 18.
Curiously, Janata Dal (Secular) leader and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy not only met the Governor with the BJP delegation, but was also a signatory to the petition by BJPLP. This comes amidst reports of an alliance between the two parties, and speculations of even a merger.
Prior to the BJP-JD(S) delegation meeting the Governor, JDSLP meet condemned Congress for the fracas in the Assembly on Wednesday and claimed that Mr. Kumaraswamy had not misused the bureaucracy during his swearing-in ceremony, as alleged by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
The BJP complaint alleges that the deployment of IAS officers as protocol officers for a political event, in no way connected with the affairs of Karnataka amounted to misuse of Constitutional norms. BJP demanded that the Governor seek an explanation on the matter from Mr. Siddaramaiah.
On Wednesday, the Assembly had passed a resolution suspending 10 MLAs, including four former Ministers R. Ashok, C.N. Ashwathnarayan, V. Sunil Kumar and Araga Jnanendra. They were suspended for their “indecent and disrespectful conduct” after they tore copies of bills and agenda documents and threw them towards the Chair while protesting against deployment of IAS officers.
Meanwhile, Thursday also saw Assembly Speaker U.T. Khader, along with Deputy Speaker Rudrappa Lamani and Assembly secretary M.K. Vishalakshi, calling on the Governor. They apprised him of the circumstances that led to the suspension of BJP lawmakers till the end of the session.
Proceedings boycotted
The BJP and the JD(S) boycotted the proceedings on Thursday in protest against the suspension. Only G. Janardhana Reddy, member of the Kalyana Rajya Pragathi Paksha, and an Independent member Latha Mallikarjun were present in the Opposition benches of the House.
The BJP legislators staged a protest at the Mahatma Gandhi statue in the Vidhana Soudha and shouted slogans condemning the Speaker’s action of suspending their party MLAs.
