'Did not use IAS officers politically but followed state's tradition'

Bengaluru: “The government did not use IAS officers politically but followed the state’s tradition,” said Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah after BJP lawmakers raised the issue during the Assembly session on Wednesday.

CM Siddaramaiah said that they considered the leaders who came to attend the Opposition Meeting in Bengaluru as State guests adding that it is the tradition followed in the State.

“Earlier, when a BJP National executive meet was held in the State when Ananth Kumar was Union Minister. On that occasion, he appealed to consider BJP leaders as State guests. Accordingly, we considered them as State guests. This is the tradition of the State. It is left to our discretion to consider dignitaries from other States as State guests. We honoured them. We had deputed IAS officers only to welcome and bid farewell to the guests. We haven’t used them politically”, the CM said.

The chief minister further said that BJP and JDS are frustrated as they see people happy over the implementation of guarantee schemes.

“Opposition parties are behaving like this out of frustration. They staged a dharna in the well of the house for trivial issues sacrificing matters of public interest. Three weeks legislature session was called to discuss various problems and the State budget elaborately”, he added.

He further took a dig at former CM and JDS leader HD Kumaraswamy and said that earlier in 2018, Kumaraswamy invited leaders of various parties in the state and then IAS officers were deputed for liaison.

“Chief Ministers and former Chief Ministers of various States, central ministers, and MPs have visited the State. Earlier Kumaraswamy had invited leaders of various parties on May 21, 2018, and IAS officers were deputed for liaison. Danish Ali was neither an MP nor an MLA, not even a ZP member. YS Patil, an IAS officer was deputed as liaison officer. And he claims in the house that he hasn’t done anything”, the CM said.

Responding to the protests against the suspension of MLAs, CM Siddaramaiah said, “Is it appropriate to tear and throw papers on the Speaker’s face? How can he be a puppet? Is he termed the ruling party’s puppet, just because he didn’t listen to them? I have been part of the Assembly for the last 40 years. I have never spoken ill against the speaker or disrespected him. Isn’t this uncivilised to tear papers and throw them on the Deputy speaker’s face, behaving like goons? Is there room for such acts in democracy and Parliamentary system?”

The CM added that instead of resorting to act like goons people’s problems have to be discussed and sought solutions in the Assembly.
“Peaceful protest is allowed, but breaking glass and such things cannot be encouraged”, he said.

CM Siddaramaiah also met BJP MLA Basanagouda R Patil (Yatnal) at the hospital where he is undergoing treatment after collapsing at Vidhana Soudha earlier today.

Karnataka Assembly Speaker UT Khader on Wednesday suspended 10 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs after the Assembly on Wednesday plunged into chaos with unruly scenes following angry BJP lawmakers tore copies of bills and threw them at Deputy Speaker Rudrappa Lamani’s face.

BJP MLAs Ashwathnarayan, Sunil Kumar, R Ashok, Vedavya Kamath, Yashpal Suvarna, Dheeraj Muniraj, Umanath Kotian, Aravind Bellad, Araga Jnanendra and Bharath Shetty are among those suspended from attending session till Friday for allegedly misbehaving in the House.

The BJP MLAs have been suspended for disrupting the proceedings of the Assembly session. The MLAs created a ruckus over the Congress-led state government’s decision to depute IAS officers for Opposition Meeting held in Bengaluru on July 17 and 18.

However, the BJP and JDS have given notice to move a no-confidence motion against the Speaker.

BJP MLAs even threw papers on Deputy Speaker Rudrappa Lamani for allowing budget discussion when the House was not in order.

 

(With ANI inputs)