Bengaluru: Taking serious note of the state government's flip-flop over the controversial bill on taking control of Hindu religious institutions, a large section of Congress legislators from North Karnataka expressed their discontent and suggested that Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah and Law and Parliamentary Affairs minister, T. B. Jayachandra at least consult senior leaders in the party before tabling any such bill.
In the same breath, the 'disgruntled' legislators welcomed Mr Siddaramaiah's decision to convene a day-long CLP meeting to deliberate on two separate reports related to the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj department (RDPR).
When the disgruntled legislators started levelling charges against minor irrigation minister, Shivaraj Tangadagi, that he took ‘commission’ to release funds to ruling party legislators, the chief minister's camp successfully diverted the attention of these legislators by asking them to deliberate only on affairs of the RDPR ministry.
However, on hearing the allegations levelled against him, Mr Tangadagi walked out in a huff, but later, he too was made to attend the CLP meeting throughout the day.
The CM’s camp ensured that Mr Tangadagi returned to the conference hall in Vidhana Soudha where the ruling party had convened the legislature party meeting.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, a senior leader in the Congress party disclosed that a section of Lingayat legislators protested when Mr Siddaramaiah in his customary opening remarks, stated that his government needed all round support from legislators whenever the state government comes under severe criticism like what had happened during the Math Bill controversy.
Hearing this, these Lingayat legislators tore into Mr Siddaramaiah stating, “Without consulting any senior leader or legislator, if you (the CM and Mr Jayachandra) decide to table the bill in the Legislature, how can we defend you when you come under fire? We are not saying that you cannot take decisions. But you should at least have the courtesy to speak to all of us," the legislators snapped back.
At this juncture, senior cabinet ministers like RDPR minister, H.K. Patil, PWD minister, Dr H.C. Mahadevappa, Co-operation minister, Mahadev Prasad and others requested the disgruntled party leaders not to raise the Math amendment bill issue as the controversy had died out after the state government clarified its stand publicly.
The government had tabled the math amendment bill which envisages the takeover of religious maths in the state which run into trouble during the recent Belagavi session of the state legislature.
Later law minister T.B. Jayachandra announced that the bill was being kept on the back burner for now following a huge uproar from the opposition BJP and howls of protest from the heads of religious institutions and pontiffs
Apart from this, another section of MLAs in the ruling party continued to express dissatisfaction over the style of functioning of ministers and the Chief Minister too, but their contentions were rejected by senior leaders stating that the Congress legislature party meeting was convened just to deliberate on the affairs of the RDPR ministry.
RDPR minister, Mr H.K. Patil asked former Speaker, K.R. Ramesh Kumar to explain in detail the recommendations he had made as chairman of the Committee to suggest amendments to the Karnataka Panchayat Raj Act 1993 which took the heat off the debate on the Math bill. Mr Kumar took well over an hour to explain the need to bring in as many as 88 amendments to the existing Act.
Soon after this, the entire discussion involving 102 MLAs, four MPs and 28 MLCs present at the meeting revolved around the RDPR reports giving no scope for any deliberation on other controversial issues which usually come to the forefront during Congress Legislature Party(CLP) meetings.
Mr Patil announced that the two reports pertaining to his department will be implemented in a span of three months.
