BENGALURU: Complete pandemonium prevailed in the Assembly on Wednesday, the last day of the special session of the legislature convened to discuss the Union Government’s decision to repeal the MGNREGA and replace it with the VB-G RAM G Act.
The debate on the resolution moved by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to get the Centre repeal the VB-G RAM G Act and reinstate MGNREGA was held amid protests by the Opposition BJP and JDS legislators. The Opposition members also continued their overnight protest demanding the resignation of Excise Minister RD Timmapur over the alleged multi-crore liquor scam.
While the Opposition members were singing, dancing, and even mimicking while staging a protest demanding the minister’s resignation, Congress MLAs were taking turns in criticising the VB G-RAM-G Act and several other policies of the Union Government.
Ironically, the proceedings were held when the House was not in order.
As soon as the proceedings commenced on Wednesday, the BJP and JDS legislators continued their overnight dharna inside the Assembly Hall and entered the well of the House.
The Opposition members initially raised slogans against the State Government and Timmapur.
However, when Speaker UT Khader permitted Congress MLAs to speak on the MGNREGA resolution, the protesting members began disrupting the proceedings by singing bhajans, and a few were seen clapping and dancing. There was tapping of the tables to match the rhythm of the songs. At one point, some members even took the microphone and mimicked Speaker Khader in an attempt to prevent Congress legislators from speaking.
Meanwhile, Congress MLA and Chief Minister’s Economic Adviser Basavaraj Rayareddy, while criticising the VB-G RAM G Act, broke into the Bollywood song ‘Ram ka naam badnam na karo’ from the Dev Anand movie ‘Hare Rama, Hare Krishna’.
Interestingly, despite the House not being in order, the Speaker allowed Congress MLAs to speak on the MGNREGA issue. Several members, including Sharath Bacchegowda, Shivalingegowda, Konareddy, Rizwan Arshad, Basavaraj Rayareddy, and Narayanaswamy, addressed the House amid the chaos. The Speaker attempted to silence the microphones on the Opposition benches to prevent disruption of the speeches made by the Ruling party members.
While Congress accused the Opposition of disrupting the proceedings, as they cannot defend the new Act, the BJP said that the Speaker made no efforts to resolve the impasse and prevent the night-long dharna.