Bengaluru, Feb 4: Both the houses of Legislature in Karnataka witnessed stalemate on Wednesday, where opposition BJP and JD(S) stalled the house proceedings, demanding resignation of the Excise Minister R B Thimmapur for being involved in ₹ 6000 crore liquor shop license scam.
Minister Stands Firm, Business Halts
While the minister refused to resign saying that he had not committed any mistake, the house proceedings of both the houses could not conduct any business.
On Tuesday afternoon itself, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah introduced a resolution in the Legislative Assembly, urging the Union Government to withdraw the new `VB G-RAM-G' Act and continue the old MGNREGA. Opposition leader R Ashok said that it was a Government resolution and not the house resolution, as it was introduced to please Congress high command.
Opposition Prioritizes "Liquor Gate" Probe
Besides, since the BJP and JD(S) had taken up the issue of Liquor Gate scam, the government should take a decision on that issue before introducing the resolution. Ashok alleged that the audio where the senior Excise official telling the bar license applicant that he had to give money to the minister also went viral one month ago. Later, a fortnight ago, Excise DC's car driver was caught by Lokayukta, while receiving ₹ 25 lakh bribe on behalf of the DC. Name of the Minister had come even in the affidavit filed before Lokayukta and the government was shielding the minister, Ashok charged.
As per the calculation, the Excise minister was collecting ₹ 275 crore every month and so far, around ₹ 6000 crore was collected from the Excise department itself to fund the Congress elections in various states. Karnataka had become a Reserve Bank for Congress, Ashok charged.
Council Deadlock Over Remarks & Apology
The house was adjourned multiple times on Tuesday afternoon and the BJP-JD(S) members continued their overnight protest inside the Legislative Assembly itself. On Wednesday, the BJP members protested in the well of the house the entire day, but the Speaker U T Khader did not adjourn the house at all. The Rural Development Minister Priyank Kharge had to reply to the house over the resolution before the session ended and was waiting in the house.
In the Legislative Council, another issue regarding jibe by Congress member Nasir Ahmed on the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and personal remark by BJP MLA C T Ravi, terming him as Pakistani tongue continued on Wednesday also. While Nasir Ahmed expressed his regret on Tuesday itself, C T Ravi refused to apologize and did not attend the house on Wednesday. The Congress members demanded that C T Ravi also should apologize on the lines of Nasir Ahmed. Council Chairman Basavaraj Horatti directed the BJP Chief Whip Ravi Kumar to get C T Ravi to the house before 8 pm. The house was adjourned till 8 pm.
