BENGALURU: If the proceedings of the first day of session in the Karnataka legislative council is anything to go by, JD(S)’ coalition partner Congress and its MLCs may put the opposition BJP out of work.
Despite being coalition partners, Congress MLC Sharanappa Mattur openly accused his own government’s minor irrigation ministry, led by JD(S) minister C S Puttaraju, as the most corrupt. The war of words between the coalition partners over a Rs 38 crore alleged scam gave BJP the opportunity to mock the coalition partners in the government.
“Under your ministry, Rs 38 crore has been swindled in the name of tank rejuvenation in Koppal and Raichur. I will reiterate that this is the most corrupt ministry,” Congress MLC Sharanappa Mattur said lashing out at Puttaraju. Even before the minister could respond, the BJP seized the opportunity to mock the coalition partners. “It looks like we have no role. They (JD(S) and Congress) seem to be the government as well as the opposition,” BJP MLC Y A Narayanaswamy said as the House broke into a ruckus.
Protem Chairman Basavraj Horatti had to intervene to bring order. “It doesn’t matter which party the member belongs to if his intention is to draw the government’s attention towards a scam,” Horatti said.
MLC Mattur taking on the role of the opposition became the first example of BJP’s anticipation that this coalition government would only witness infighting between the two partners. The House, on its first official day of business, witnessed tense moments after Mattur ordered leader of opposition in the House, BJP MLC Srinivas Poojari, to sit down even as he was raising a point to mock the coalition partners’ uncomfortable position. BJP legislators demanded the comments be struck down after which Mattur was given a warning by the Chairman.
Puttaraju said efforts are being taken to ensure that his ministry is not accused of corruption anymore. “The government has ordered a CID inquiry into the alleged scam. Neither I nor my ministry will try to protect the guilty. I will ensure that all talk of corruption in the department will end,” Puttaraju said.