BENGALURU: Despite receiving two VIP passes each, after a Congress MLA raised the demand triggering a controversy, many legislators did not turn up at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium to watch the IPL opener between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Saturday.
Hardly three to four MLAs of the total 224 turned up at the stadium. CM Siddaramaiah, who was in Mysuru, said he will not be in Bengaluru to watch the match.
“Those who want to go will go, those who don’t will not,” he said. DCM DK Shivakumar, who had backed the demand for tickets by MLAs saying it was their right and privilege, was busy campaigning in Assam, which is facing the Assembly polls.
Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara, who had attributed the MLAs’ demand for VIP tickets to their interest in sports, was in his hometown Tumakuru. Siddaramaiah’s close associate and Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh, who had taken part in the ‘Ganahoma’ performed by KSCA to ward off the ‘obstacles’ before restarting IPL matches, watched the match.
I am opposed to VIP culture, politics of entitlement : Suresh Kumar
But Byrathi Suresh had trouble while entering the stadium as the police reportedly did not allow the men who were accompanying him inside the stadium.
Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot and former chief minister BS Yediyurappa, who are regulars at matches, were at the VIP stand.
Some MLAs were busy campaigning in the bypolls to Davanagere South and Bagalkot. Others, including Housing Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan, were busy canvassing in Kerala. “KSCA president Venkatesh Prasad called me and offered me the passes, but I am busy with Kerala polls. I will later move to Davanagere to campaign for the bypoll,” Kunigal Congress MLA HD Ranganath said.
Some of the MLAs who had collected the tickets passed them onto their well-wishers and personal assistants, sources said.
BJP MLAs desisted from watching the match as party leaders, especially senior MLA S Suresh Kumar, took strong exception to the government deciding to get VIP passes for legislators, following the demand raised by Congress MLA Vijayanand Kashappanavar.
Suresh rejected the passes, saying he is opposed to VIP culture and politics of entitlement. “It is deplorable that the legislators asked for tickets and special privileges when the government of vultures feasted on the 11 bodies of innocent people last year is still green in our memory. I am shocked and numbed by the insensitivity of my legislator-colleagues,” he said.
“That this VIP culture and politics of entitlement thrives cutting across party lines in the regime headed by the self-declared Socialist Chief Minister is certainly appalling. It is for this very reason that the image, credibility and reputation of the politicians as a class have nose-dived in the eyes of the people,” he charged.
“I wanted to oppose the idea of asking for tickets for legislators, but I was shocked to hear the Speaker echoing similar sentiments and hence restrained myself,” he said.