The reported “zero-traffic” facility given to the rebel MLAs came up for discussion in the House on Monday.
While there was objection, including from Speaker K.R. Ramesh Kumar, to such a facility being provided, Home Minister M.B. Patil insisted that no such facility was provided to the legislators.
The Speaker said the DG&IGP and Bengaluru Police Commissioner brought visuals of their travel from HAL Airport to the Vidhana Soudha. The visuals show they waited at four signals. The police had escorted them acting on the directions of the Supreme Court. They were not given zero traffic, he said and blamed the media for terming it as zero traffic.
He also said he scrutinised documents and nowhere had anyone directed the police to provide zero traffic.
Earlier, responding to questions raised by A.T. Ramaswamy on it, Mr. Patil said the Governor had written to the State government directing them to provide security to the legislators.
The Speaker took objection and said “zero traffic” and protection had to be separated, to which Mr. Patil insisted that the rebel MLAs were not given any such facility from HAL airport to the Vidhana Soudha.
Mr. Ramesh Kumar took exception to this and asked the Home Minister if he was really satisfied with his answer. “The entire country knows that the rebel MLAs were given zero traffic facility,” he said. “Zero traffic is given to only a select few. The rationale for providing this facility is that these persons will be attending to matters of national importance. What is the great national service that these MLAs were up to? This is not about any party or MLA but a matter of principle and the system,” he said. The Home Minister’s reply drew objections from the treasury benches too. Mr. Ramaswamy said it was condemnable how the Home Minister gave such a reply contrary to facts and that went in the records. “If this is the kind of response one gets from a Minister, why should I stay in this House? I will leave,” he said, and was later pacified by the Speaker.
Senior Congress leader H.K. Patil intervened and asked the Speaker to direct the Home Minister to come back to the House after seeking a clarification from the officials. The Speaker directed the Home Minister to do so.