Bengaluru: Law and parliamentary affairs minister T.B. Jayachandra was lambasted by Opposition members in the Legislative Council on Monday for his comments that the upper House be abolished in the wake of resistance to The Karnataka Municipal Corporations (Amendment) Bill, 2015.
Leader of Opposition K.S. Eshwarappa moved a notice against the minister under rule 59, demanding an apology for making such statements, and quoted the minister as saying “there is no necessity of continuation of the upper House. Since the upper House is the creation of the lower House, the government has the power to abolish the same” in newspapers.
“The law minister's statement on abolition of the upper House is against the spirit of the Constitution. Both upper House and lower House are creation of the Constitution. Members of the upper House are hurt by the minister's statement. If he does not tender an apology, the party will move a privilege motion against him,” he added.
JD(S) floor leader Basavaraj Horatti sought a clarification from the law minister regarding his controversial statement. Many members of the Legislative Assembly had, in the past, spoken about abolition of the upper House, but the same members were rehabilitated in the upper House, Mr. Horatti added.
In his reply, Mr. Jayachandra denied that he sought abolishment of the upper House. “My statement has been misinterpreted in newspapers. I have not given any statement which lowers the dignity of the upper House,” he added.
The minister stated that his precise statement was not published in newspapers. “I have highest respect for the upper House,” he added. Dismissing a notice given by BJP MLCs, Chairman D H Shankaramurthy said such statements create unnecessary confusion in the minds of people and should not be repeated in future.
