BANGALORE: Speaker Krishna went by the rule book for the third day in the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday, refusing to allow the former Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to make a statement in the House before resigning. This led to a walkout by Congress and All-India Progressive Janata Dal members.

As soon as the House assembled, Mr. Siddaramaiah requested the Speaker to allow him to make a statement, as it was his duty to inform his voters in Chamundeswari constituency in Mysore about his next course of action. He had no intention of wasting the time of the House, he said, and pointed out that he had conducted himself with dignity throughout his membership of the House.

He noted that the House wasted a week's time by discussing the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project and the bribery allegation against Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy. The former Finance Minister said it was unfortunate the House had passed the appropriation Bill providing for the withdrawal of Rs. 45,000 crore from the Consolidated Fund of the State without discussing the functioning of a single department.

`No precedent'

Mr. Krishna rejected his plea and said there was no precedent or rule for a member to make a statement prior to his resignation, upon which Mr. Siddaramaiah and his supporters staged a walkout. They were joined by Congress members led by Leader of the Opposition N. Dharam Singh. Mr. Siddaramaiah termed the Speaker's decision undemocratic.

Earlier, Mr. Singh asked Mr. Kumaraswamy to give a reply on the illegal mining issue in the House as he had levelled charges against him and other Congress leaders. The Congress would not prevent him from replying.

Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs M.P. Prakash said the Congress, which had a history of 121 years and was the ruling party 14 States, had set a bad precedent by staging a walkout. It was sad that the appropriation Bill was passed without discussion on any subject, he said.

Vatal Nagaraj (Kannada Chaluvali) also staged a walkout opposing the ruling parties' decision to pass the appropriation Bill without debate in the House.

G.V. Srirama Reddy (Communist Party of India-Marxist), S. Rajendran (Republican Party of India), S.S. Patil (Congress) and B.R. Patil (AIPJD) criticised Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, who holds the Finance portfolio, for getting the Bill passed without a debate.

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