BANGALORE: Acting Chairman of the Legislative Council Sachidanand L. Khot adjourned the House for the day on Tuesday without any business being transacted.

The House, after and adjournment, was scheduled to reassemble at 3 p.m. but it did not meet till 5.40 p.m. because the Business Advisory Committee was meeting to try and sort out matters after the Opposition stuck to its demand that the Chair reconsider its ruling against allowing an adjournment motion on Monday.

The motion, which was disallowed by the Chair, sought to discuss the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor project and Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy's statement that Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise, project promoters, had attempted to "purchase" him through intermediaries.

As the House reassembled at 5.40 p.m., Leader of the Opposition H.K. Patil reiterated that the Opposition would withdraw its dharna if the Chair allowed a discussion on the adjournment motion in the presence of the Chief Minister.

Minister's assurance

Assuring the Congress members that the Chief Minister would participate in the discussion under Rule 68, Leader of the House D.H. Shankaramurthy said there was no question of taking up the matter for discussion as an adjournment motion.

When the Opposition stuck to its demand, the Chairman adjourned the House for the day.

Earlier in the day, Congress members led by Mr. Patil continued their dharna in the well of the House.

Mr. Patil repeated his argument that Mr. Kumaraswamy had a lot to answer for since he had violated the law by not initiating legal action against "a former Minister and a journalist" who, he said, had attempted to "purchase" him.

Y.S.V. Datta (Janata Dal-S) intervened to say the Chief Minister's response and his clarification on the issue had been extensively documented in the electronic media, and he was not evading a debate or the House.

Janata Dal (U) members M.P. Nadagouda and Basavaraj Bommai urged the Congress to give up the dharna, participate in the discussion.

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