Rebel Congress MLA Nadahalli shocks party, signs Opposition petition for removal of Lokayukta

Belagavi: Rebel Congress MLA A.S. Patil Nadahalli created a flutter in the Assembly on Friday by signing a petition prepared by the Opposition BJP and JD(S) for the removal of ‘tainted’ Lokayukta Justice Bhaskar Rao. Mr Nadahalli has already been suspended by the Congress party for criticising Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on the issue of neglecting the north Karnataka region.

The combined opposition in the Legislative Assembly has decided to move a motion for removal of the Lokayukta and after obtaining the  signatures of 57 members has submitted it to the Speaker Mr Kagodu Thimmappa. The issue of removal  of the Lokayukta has gained momentum with both BJP and JD(S) deciding to join hands and start a signature campaign.

The opposition delegation led by Opposition leader Mr Jagadish Shettar met Mr Kagodu Thimmappa and submitted it to him. Mr Shettar told  reporters that the Speaker had responded positively on the issue. “He assured us that he would discuss the issue during the Business Advisory Committee meeting on Monday, before taking it up for discussion. Since this is the first time such a motion is being brought, we are taking care to ensure that we follow all the norms,'' he said.

"In a democracy, controlling corruption in public administration is an important issue; allegations of direct involvement of Lokayukta and his family in corruption is an insult to democracy," the petition said.

When asked if he was confident of getting a 2/3rd majority for the motion, Mr Shettar said that many Congress members also had expressed their support for the move. “If the party decides not to support the motion, then it only goes to prove that Congress leaders are trying to protect the Lokayukta,'' he said adding,"If he (Rao) had any morality left in him, he should have quit.”

Opposition, Nadahalli on same wave length

Tempers flared up in the Legislative Assembly on Friday, when Congress member A.S. Patil Nadahalli embarrassed his party colleagues by moving an adjournment motion in the house.

While Congress chief whip Mr Ashok Pattan got into an argument with party member Mr A S Patil Nadalli, who moved the adjournment motion, one of the signatory for the motion Mr G.T. Patil tried to withdraw his support. At the end, Speaker Mr Kagodu Thimmappa came down heavily on the Congress members and asked everyone to stop the argument and settle in their seats.

Soon after the house assembled, both JD(S) and BJP moved separate adjournment motions. The BJP  sought an adjournment motion on the government not taking up any programmes to implement programmes in Hyderabad-Karnataka region. At the same time, Congress member Mr Nadalli  said  he had also given a notice to speak on implementation of Dr D.M. Nanjundappa committee report.

This left the treasury benches red faced, Former Speaker Mr Ramesh Kumar asked how a ruling party member could move an adjournment motion. Party Chief whip Mr Ashok Pattan asked Mr Nadalli to sit down. This sparked an argument with the two addressing each other in the singular.

One of the signatories to the motion Mr G.T. Patil said Mr Nadalli had got his signature by furnishing wrong information and he wanted to back out. Irked by this remark, Mr Thimmappa asked: “Are you not ashamed to say you were fooled by wrong information?”  Meanwhile, BJP member Mr Visveshwar Hegde Kageri wanted to know the provision, which prohibits a ruling party member from moving an adjournment motion.