Congress MLAs from rural Mysuru on Saturday alleged violation of protocol by the district administration during the inauguration of Jal Bhavan, housing the divisional office of Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board (KUWSDB) in Mysuru, and threatened to stage a black demonstration against Minister in-charge of Mysuru district S.T. Somashekar.
MLAs H.P. Manjunath, Yathindra Siddaramaiah, and Anil Chikkamadu alleged that they did not receive an invitation to the Government function held on Friday in gross violation of the protocol laid down by the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms.
Mr. Manjunath held Mr. Somashekar indirectly responsible for the lapse and sought immediate action against the officials responsible for the protocol violation. If no action is taken within a week, Congress will hold black flag demonstrations against the Minister when he visits Mysuru next, he said.
Though Deputy Commissioner of Mysuru Bagadi Gautham, who had tested positive for COVID-19, was on leave, the other officials of the district administration and KUWSDB officials should be held accountable for the lapse, he said. No invitation was extended to any MLA from rural parts of Mysuru district, including BJP MLA representing Nanjangud Assembly segment Harshavardhan, he said.
Mr. Manjunath also alleged protocol lapse in the inauguration of a students’ hostel by the Backward Classes Welfare Department in Kuvempunagar here on Friday.
He pointed out that the Jal Bhavan was among the series of development programmes in Mysuru city taken up during the tenure of former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
The present BJP Government was only inaugurating these projects, he said and regretted that the foundation stone bearing the former Chief Minister’s name was not to be found during the inauguration.
