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Journalism of Courage
Opposition Congress today demanded the immediate resignation of Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa,saying his government has “already lost majority” after the Speaker disqualified 16 MLAs.
Reacting sharply to the disqualification of the MLAs,including 11 from BJP by Speaker K G Bopaiah,Congress leader in the Assembly Siddaramaiah said with the disqualification of BJP legislators,the government had already lost its majority.
“Yeddyurappa has no right to continue in office. If the Chief Minister has any morality,he should quit immediately”,Siddaramaiah told reporters here.
Siddaramaiah lashed out at Bopaiah,whom he alleged “behaved like the agent of the ruling party” and said under the circumstances,the Speaker cannot conduct the proceedings of the House in a “free and fair manner”.
“Who gave him the power to disqualify independent MLAs,” he asked while accusing him of behaving like Adolf Hitler.
Congress will call on Governor H R Bhardwaj soon seeking his intervention,he said.
Balachandra Jarkiholi,the disqualified BJP MLA said the aggrieved MLAs would approach the Court and also the Governor against the Speaker’s ruling.
“We only demanded a change in the leadership of Yeddyurappa. We did not indulge in anti-party activities”,Jarkiholi,one of the leaders spearheading the rebellion against Yeddyurappa,said.
Congress termed as a “fraud on the Constitution” the BJP government in Karnataka winning a vote of confidence by voice vote after the Speaker disqualified 16 MLAs hours before the trial of strength.
Meanwhile,party spokesperson Jayanti Natarajan said,”It is clearly,completely undemocratic and a fraud on the Constitution. The role of the Speaker has been an assault on democracy.”
“For such an important Constitutional issue as trust vote,if the speaker allows voice vote and does not allow a division… This is nothing but a fraud on democracy and a shameless attempt to subvert the Constitutional process and put in place an illegal government,” she said.
AICC General Secretary and a senior party leader from the state B K Harirprasad said,”Whatever has happened in Karnataka is shameful. It is totally unconstitutional,unethical and illegal.”
He said such incidents never took place in Karnataka’s history.
“After it came to power in Karanatka,BJP which claimed to be a party with a difference,has ruined the image of the state and has only brought disrepute to the politics of Karnataka,” the former Rajya Sabha MP from the state said.
Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa today “won” a vote of confidence in the Assembly after the Speaker disqualified 16 MLAs,including 11 of BJP,hours before the trial of strength.
