Karnataka Govt misusing police in Gundlupet: BJP

Bengaluru:  The BJP went into attack mode in the Legislative Assembly again on Tuesday and staging a walkout, accused the ruling Congress of misusing the  police for its own ends in Gundulpet, where candidates filed their nominations for the coming bypoll on Monday.

The saffron party members, who raised the issue soon after question hour, claimed the police supported the Congress and lathicharged  BJP workers during the filing of nominations. They also alleged  that while the BJP was given time only between 11 am and 1 pm to file its candidate's  nomination,  the Congress was allowed to do so even after 1 pm.  Even so, Congress workers entered the returning officer’s  chamber before the BJP’s time was up and began to push its workers around, they protested.

“Scared of losing the election, the government is misusing the police,” the BJP MLAs charged. But dismissing their allegation, both Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Home Minister, Dr G Parameshwar said  the police was only doing its duty  to maintain law and order. Angered by the government’s stand, the BJP members staged a walkout.

Later, referring to anganwadi volunteers agitating in the city, JD(S) floor leader, H D Kumaraswamy demanded that their honorarium be raised from the present Rs 6000 to Rs 10,000.

Opposition leader, Jagadish Shettar intervened to allege that the government had no concern for women,but was met by a stinging rejoinder by the Chief Minister, who recalled that the programme itself was  introduced by the late Congress Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi and at the time the Centre footed 90 per cent of the expenditure, unlike today when the state was paying 84 per cent  of  the honorarium.

In the din that followed JD(S) members trooped into the well of the House, followed by BJP members, forcing the Speaker to adjourn it for the day.

Walkout over revision of textbooks
Bharatiya Janata Party members staged a walkout protesting against the state government for ruling out any procedural lapses by the expert committee headed by noted Kannada litterateur Baragur Ramachandrappa while revising textbooks from first to tenth standard from the next academic year.

The members were divided over the issue as  Congress and JD(S) members spoke in favour of the committee while BJP members spoke against it. Primary and Secondary Education minister Tanvir Sait in his reply contended that the government had followed  due procedures and ruled out any lapses.  This angered BJP members who walked out of the house as a mark of protest. Mr Sait said there was no proposal yet from the human resources development ministry regarding a uniform curriculum. Till now, there was no draft notification in this regard without which the process would not start.