Congress govt is wrong to hide behind rules
The Speaker of the Karnataka Assembly and the Chairman of the Legislative Council have taken a wrong leaf out of the book of the Lok Sabha Speaker and the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha by disallowing a discussion on the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam, to which Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is allegedly linked. The scam, which came to light in recent weeks, has given rise to questions that call for answers in the public interest. When members of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Janata Dal (Secular) sought a discussion, Speaker U T Khader and Council Chairman Basavaraj Horatti rejected it, citing rules. Khader said he had rejected the notice as ‘’it is not a recent issue and a commission of inquiry has been set up.” Law Minister H K Patil threw the book of parliamentary procedure at the Opposition, supporting the Speaker’s decision.
The arguments are unconvincing. The MUDA decision to allot sites to Siddaramaiah’s wife may be old, but the matter came to public attention only recently. An inquiry, ordered by the government, should not preempt a discussion in the House. Inquiries are usually ordered to prevent discussions and push an issue under the carpet. The BJP offered to discuss the matter without affecting the ongoing inquiry. It is wrong to hide behind rules to avoid a discussion. That would be taken as an excuse to hide something on technical grounds. The government and the Congress have also refused to offer convincing explanations about the Valmiki Corporation scam in which funds were unauthorisedly transferred out, again on the grounds that the matter is under investigation.
The denial of permission for a discussion led the Opposition to other forms of protest, including a day and night dharna in the House. Other public protests are drawing attention to the matter. At a press conference on Friday, Siddaramaiah denied the charges against him and his family and released documents to support his position. He should have done this in the Assembly and the Council, which are the most legitimate and democratic forums for discussion in the state. Why evade the House and talk outside? In the past, Congress MPs have been silenced and suspended from Parliament, and their demands for discussion rejected unreasonably. The lesson should have been not to emulate it, but to allow readiness to talk and openness to prevail by waiving the rule if it stood in the way.