The special committee set up by Legislative Council Chairman K. Prathapchandra Shetty to inquire into the pandemonium that unfolded in the Council last month seems to be besieged with problems.
Close on the heels of BJP MLCs A.H. Vishwanath and S.V. Sankanur withdrawing from the committee, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister J.C. Madhuswamy on Monday said that the government will not take cognisance of the report submitted by the committee.
BJP members quit
The Minister said that the BJP does not have anything to do with the committee and termed the committee as “null and void.” Incidentally, the two BJP members withdrew soon after the committee was constituted. Post their withdrawal, the committee has Congress members B.K. Hariprasad and R.B. Thimmapur, and Janata Dal (Secular) member Marithibbe Gowda.
Recalling the developments in the Council on December 15 when unprecedented scenes were played out, with ruling BJP and Opposition Congress members fighting over the issue of no confidence motion moved against the Chairman, the Minister said in defence, “The Deputy Chairman was allowed to sit on the seat because the Chairman did not come to the House even after 15 to 20 minutes of the Council had quorum.”
For nearly half an hour, scenes of Congress members pulling out the late Dharme Gowda from the chair, while BJP members tried to push him back were witnessed on December 15. The late Deputy Chairman is learnt to have expressed dismay over the incident in his death note, before he allegedly committed suicide.
Meanwhile, Congress MLC P.R. Ramesh maintained that the committee will submit its report in the next 20 days, and requested legislators to cooperate with the committee.
As per rules
Defending the formation of the committee, Mr. Ramesh said: “It has been formed as per the rules of the House and BJP members are misleading the public with their statements on the issue. The BJP members appear like they are scared.”
The Supreme Court has also said that the issue within the House has to be resolved in the House, he pointed out.