I am a friend of the Opposition: Assembly Speaker Khader

Bengaluru: Karnataka Assembly Speaker U.T. Khader said that he was a friend of the opposition parties in the Assembly. Despite this, Khader said that suspicions exist within their ranks.

“I am a friend of the opposition. Even so, the opposition has a lot of suspicion on me. I will give more opportunity to the opposition to participate in the debate. If the opposition participates actively, the governance of the government will be better,” he said.

Addressing a media conference organized by the Bangalore Press Club on Tuesday, Khader highlighted that involving the opposition in debates contributes to better governance by addressing the government’s shortcomings.

He expressed his commitment to fostering a robust parliamentary environment through active opposition participation.

Khader emphasized his dedication to upholding the Constitution and House conduct rules, though he noted occasional conflicts between ethics and traditions. “For me the Constitution and the rules of conduct of the House are important. I act accordingly. But sometimes there is a conflict between ethics and traditions. As per the rules, Placards shall not be displayed during the proceedings. However, there has been a tradition of displaying placards and staging a sit-in,” he said.

Reflecting on his recent decision, Khader confirmed that the suspension of MLAs in the previous session was his independent choice and not influenced by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

The Speaker acknowledged the personal trade-off between his role and social interaction, revealing that his social interaction decreased since taking on the position. However, he highlighted that he still participates in events within his domain, but reserves the use of his Speaker powers exclusively for legislative proceedings.

Khader also unveiled plans for a new entry system within the Vidhana Soudha, aimed at enhancing transparency and reducing inconvenience for the public. He expressed intentions to collaborate with the Karnataka Department of Parliamentary Affairs and the Home Department to develop a system that records entry and exit times for visitors.

Addressing criticisms of his Kannada language skills, Khader asserted his commitment to improving his pronunciation and fluency. “Some have trolled me on social media about my Kannada language usage. My Kannada is bookish, and I have mostly used Kannada in school. In my hometown, Hindus speak Tulu, Muslims use Byari and Christians converse in Konkani. But generally, everyone uses Tulu as a common tongue… My Kannada pronunciation has scope for improvement. But I will take online trolls as a challenge to enhance my Kannada proficiency,” Khader said.