Bangalore: Leader of the Opposition N. Dharma Singh led a dharna in the Legislative Assembly on Monday protesting against the Government's "poor handling" of the riots in Bhatkal in Uttara Kannada and the attempt to play down the issue raised by members.

The Opposition was, however, divided over the type of inquiry to determine the cause of the clashes and identify the culprits. While a section of the Opposition led by senior Congress members M. Mallikarjun Kharge and R.V. Deshpande demanded a CBI inquiry, another section demanded that the matter be gone into by a House committee.

With Congress, Janata Dal (Secular) and BJP members trading charges against one another over their complicity in the riots, the independent member K. Jayaprakash Hegde suggested that the House panel should comprise members who are not connected with the three political parties.

What annoyed the Congress members most was the attempt by Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa to reply to the discussion on the riots. The Congress members alleged that the BJP was responsible for the communal clashes.

The Opposition accused the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister of making contradictory statements on the clashes. While Mr. Kumaraswamy said the clashes had a political bearing, Mr. Yediyurappa maintained that ISI agents of Pakistan were connected with the incidents.

Mr. Dharam Singh said the Chief Minister had taken the matter lightly and did not even make a statement in the legislature. When the matter was being discussed in the legislature, neither the Chief Minister nor senior officials of the departments concerned were present. Bhatkal had been a communally sensitive town for over a decade, he said.

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