Pandemonium in Legislative Assembly as Speaker turns down BJP demand for discussion on 5 guarantees of Congress government

As soon as Question Hour started, former CM Basavaraj Bommai appealed to the Speaker to give him an opportunity to make a preliminary submission on non-implementation of the 5 guarantees of the Congress.

The Karnataka legislative Assembly plunged into pandemonium on the second day on July 4 after the opposition BJP staged a dharna in the well of the House, alleging that the Congress government led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had ‘deceived’ people of the State by ‘not implementing’ five guarantees promised in its poll manifesto.

The trouble began when Speaker U.T. Khader did not allow former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to move an adjournment motion seeking a debate on non-implementation of five guarantees by the Congress government.

The BJP sought postponement of the scheduled Question Hour and Zero Hour listed in the agenda. As soon as Question Hour started, Mr. Bommai appealed to the Speaker to give him an opportunity to make a preliminary submission on non-implementation of guarantees, including free electricity up to 200 units under Gruha Jyothi, 10 kg of rice each to BPL family members and Antyodaya card-holders under Anna Bhagya scheme, and ₹2,000 to women head of household under Gruha Lakshmi scheme.

When the Speaker turned down Mr. Bommai’s demand, BJP members rushed to the well of the House and staged a dharna. They shouted slogans against the Congress government alleging ‘dhoka government has given dhoka Shivakumar and dhoka to U.T. Khader, and dhoka to the people’.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that when he was the Leader of Opposition, he had not been allowed to move an adjournment motion before Question Hour. Mr. Siddaramaiah asked the Speaker not to concede to the BJP’s demand.

Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said the opposition was not able to tolerate implementation of guarantees, and said the people voted out BJP for non-performance.

As Congress and BJP members engaged in an argument, the Speaker adjourned the House for 15 minutes. The Speaker met Mr Siddaramaiah and BJP members, but the meetings did not yield a positive result. Despite several appeals by the Speaker to withdraw the protest, BJP members continued their dharna and sloganeering.