Karnataka Assembly Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa praises BJP MP BS Yeddyurappa

Shivamogga: Octogenarian Assembly Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa shocked many in Congress circles on Friday praising former chief minister and Shivamogga BJP MP B.S. Yeddyurappa. What was more surprising was his remark that Mr Yeddyurappa should become chief minister again!

The Speaker who had created ripples with his subtle criticism of the Congress government on several issues and his expression of desire to become a minister instead of Speaker, was speaking at a programme organized to inaugurate a community hall built by the Veerashaiva Vidyabhivruddhi Samsthe in Sagar. Maybe it was his spontaneous outburst of empathy for a fellow Shivamogga leader but it has raised many eyebrows in the Congress camp.

Any Congress leader who dared to make such a statement would have been slapped a disciplinary notice but that is unlikely to happen in Mr Thimmappa’s case as he had to quit the party to become Speaker.

It is also unlikely that the Congress will make an issue of it and create another power centre in the party or raise the hackles of the veteran leader. But many in the party are asking a pertinent question: Does Mr Thimmappa have a strong reason to make such a comment?

Rita Bahuguna Joshi hits out at PM

Lashing out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress spokesperson, Rita Bahuguna Joshi dared him to pass the Women’s reservation bill to prove his commitment to women’s empowerment.

Speaking at a programme where Ms Lakshmi Hebbalkar assumed charge as president of Mahila Congress, Ms Joshi said, “Congress has proved its commitment by passing the Women’s reservation bill in the Rajya Sabha when our party was in power.” The PM was more keen on getting the Land acquisition bill approved to help corporates when he should be pushing the Women’s reservation bill in the Lok Sabha.