Proceedings in both the Houses of the legislature now in session here were deferred on Thursday as opposition BJP MLAs staged protests in the House, demanding the resignation of chief minister and the sugar minister, blaming them for the suicide of farmer Vitthal Arabhavi.
Amid the protests, chief minister Siddaramaiah announced in the assembly in that he would order magisterial inquiry over suicide of Arabhavi.
Waving black flags, BJP MLAs and MLCs took out a rally from the main gate of the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha to the main building and raised slogans against the government. Former chief ministers DV Sadanand Gowda and Jagadish Shettar, who led the procession, blamed the government for the tragedy.
No discussion could take place in either the assembly or the council as the BJP members continued their protests. When opposition leader HD Kumaraswamy stressed on the need for a discussion in assembly, BJP MLAs stuck to their demand for grant of ex gratia of Rs1,000 per tonne for sugarcane growers. They rushed to the well and disrupted the proceedings.
When JD(S) MLAs rose to raise slogans against government, their leader Kumaraswamy persuaded them to allow the proceedings to continue in the interest of farmers and general public at large.
When the session was reconvened in the afternoon, BJP MLAs resumed their protest and demanded that the government meet the demand of the farmers.
Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa allowed the question hour even as the BJP members raised slogans against the Congress, provoking the Congress members to retaliate. The Congress members reminded the opposition that two farmers were shot dead for protests against shortage of fertiliser at Haveri.
Ignoring the protests, Thimmappa took up bills scheduled to be passed in the session. He managed to allow the tabling of six bills amidst the chaos.
Opposition leader HD Kumaraswamy appealed to the speaker to conduct an all-party leaders meeting once again to facilitate the proceedings. On his suggestion, the session was adjourned for 10 minutes, but could meet only after an hour after a meeting of all-party leaders.
However, the proceedings were back on track by evening and all three former chief ministers spoke without heat. However, words used by BS Yeddyurappa enraged Congress members, but the speaker stepped in to avoid a confrontation.
Kumaraswamy recalled that Siddaramaiah, as finance minister in 1995 was sensitive to farmers’ problems. He remarked that all 224 members of the assembly had a duty to find a solution to avoid repetition of tragedies such as Arabhavi’s.
Shettar claimed credit for the BJP government for implementing the SAP Act and described as “suspicious” the moves of the Siddaramaiah government on sugarcane growers’ issues.
Responding, Siddaramaiah said: “The government is moving as per the SAP Act, implemented by the BJP, and it would not hesitate to take legal action against sugar factories if they violated the Act and government’s directions.
“In what way we are responsible for the farmer’s suicide?” he questioned.
In the council, DV Sadanand Gowda and other BJP MLCs thwarted the chief minister’s attempt to explain the government’s measures for sugarcane growers’ welfare. Siddaramaiah reminded the chairman DH Shankaramurthy that he listened in silence as Sadanand Gowda spoke, and asked the chair to silence the BJP benches so that he can speak. At one stage, he raised his voice to accuse the BJP of being responsible for the death of Arabhavi.
A narrow escape for BSY and Shobha
KJP mentor BS Yeddyurappa and his confidante, Shobha Karandlaje had a providential escape when their car was rammed by their escort vehicle near Chikkodi on Thursday.
The mishap occurred when the driver of Yeddyurappa’s vehicle applied brakes suddenly. The former chief minister and Shobha were proceeding to Kankanwadi to participate in the last rites of farmer Vitthal Arabhavi, who committed suicide in Belgaum on Wednesday.
Rift out in the open
The BJP and JD(S) who united in attacking the government in the first three days of the session, turned on each other on Thursday.
When the BJP went on a protest seeking additional ex gratia for growers and demanded the resignation of the chief minister and the sugar minister, the JD(S) stressed on need of discussion on farmers’ and other issues.
KJP leader BS Yeddyurappa, who was even convinced by BJP to drop his agitation in the well, was joined by BJP MLAs from Thursday.
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