BENGALURU: The Legislative Council witnessed several rounds of heated debate between the Opposition and the Ruling parties over issues related to Lokayukta, untouchability, the Gujarat model, and others.
During the discussion on the budget, Congress MLC RB Thimmapur raised the issue of untouchability still being practised in certain parts of the country and the government should be ashamed of not eradicating it. The BJP members opposed the statement and said the Congress was responsible for it, since it was in power for decades.
As the leader of the floor and minister Shrinivas Poojari intervened, Opposition leader BK Hariprasad said it was not fair to give speeches when a member is talking and asked the chairman to direct Poojari to stop the speech.Thimmapur also said the BJP had cheated the people by promising in the manifesto that they would revive the Lokayukta if they came to power. In reply, BJP members said it was the Congress that had finished the anti-corruption institution and they had no moral right to question it.
When the MLC referred to PM Narendra Modi’s name while talking about price hikes in essential commodities, BJP MLC Vishwanath intervened and asked why can’t the Opposition look at the developments achieved by the PM. “He has done so much for Gujarat and hence the term ‘Gujarat Model’ was coined,” he said.