Bangalore: Senior Janata Dal (S) P.G.R. Sindhia on Thursday urged the Speaker, Krishna, to give his ruling on the petition seeking the disqualification, under the anti-defection law, of 40 JD(S) MLAs, including Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, triggering an uproar that led to a short adjournment of the House.

The Speaker told Vatal Nagaraj (Kannada Chaluvali), who raised the issue, that notice has been served on all the MLAs concerned, and he cannot take a hasty decision on the matter.

`Members suspended'

Leader of the Opposition N. Dharam Singh said JD(S) national President H.D. Deve Gowda had issued a statement that Mr. Kumaraswamy and the MLAs supporting had been suspended from the party and urged the Speaker to give his ruling without further delay.

Neither Mr. Kumaraswamy nor Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa was present in the House when the matter was raised.

Mr. Sindhia maintained that M.P. Prakash is still the leader of the JD(S) Legislature Party. It is not right to categorise some MLAs as expelled members while not deciding on the status of others, he said and urged the Speaker to give his ruling at the earliest. Otherwise the confusion about the fate of the Government in the minds of the bureaucracy and potential investors in the State will continue. Such a state of affairs is not in the best interests of the State, he said.

This was vehemently opposed by Minister for Forests C. Chennigappa and Transport Minister N. Cheluvaraya Swamy, who maintained that it is an internal matter of the JD(S) and should not be allowed to be raised in the House.

Mr. Sindhia persisted in demanding a ruling from the Speaker. He was supported by Congress members R.V. Deshpande, Ramesh Kumar and Basavaraj Rayareddy.

When the heated exchanges continued, the Speaker adjourned the House for ten minutes.

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