BENGALURU: A day after the state government passed a resolution against the Centre’s tax devolution, in the Assembly, Opposition BJP members on Friday tried to move a resolution against it and demanded that the government withdraw its original resolution.
Meanwhile, the session, which was to conclude on Friday, has been extended till February 26. Even before the session began, BJP members were protesting in the well.
Leader of Opposition R Ashoka said they are condemning the state’s resolution. “At the Business Advisory Committee meeting earlier, we had decided what to discuss, including the bills” he said.
State govt not hiding anything, says law min
“On Thursday, Law Minister HK Patil started reading the resolution without placing it in the agenda. Why are you hiding and taking the backdoor to pass this resolution,” Ashoka asked. He said the Congress government is insulting Vidhana Soudha and the rules. “If they (Congress) wanted to condemn or raise voice against the Union government, they have many platforms. We demand that they take back their resolution,” he said. Both the state and Central government have to work hand in hand, but here, the state seems to be waging a war.
Patil said the resolution was passed keeping in mind the welfare of the state and its people. “We are not hiding anything. The resolution we passed is the voice of seven crore people of Karnataka. You are insulting them by protesting. We need not take your permission to pass this resolution. Do not politicise the issue,” he said.
Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said that if BJP Lok Sabha members had raised this issue in the Lok Sabha, it would not have come to this pass.
In response, BJP members raised slogans against the state government, chanted Jai Sriram and sang songs mocking the government. Amidst the din, Speaker UT Khader and ministers tabled the fifth State Finance Commission report, bills and other procedures.
Even as bills were being passed, Ashoka tried to move the BJP resolution, blaming the Congress government. “The UPA government did not increase the share of tax devolution, but it was done by the NDA government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In the last five years, the state got received over Rs 1 lakh crore as tax compensation under GST,” he claimed.
Ashoka stated in the ‘resolution’ that one has to be committed to collect the state government’s share. But it should not be politically motivated. “We are condemning the state government’s resolution. It has failed to accelerate economic growth. Instead, it is trying to blame the Union government,” he said.