The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Patil condemns Thippanna's ruling

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 14, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Patil condemns Thippanna's ruling

Staff Reporter

Terms the action a mockery of democracy

H.K. Patil

BANGALORE: Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council H.K. Patil has termed acting Chairman N. Thippanna's ruling on Tuesday that all the 26 Congress members of the House should not attend the proceedings for the rest of the session "a criminal offence."

He told presspersons that Mr. Thippanna had no authority to make such a ruling. The powers of the Chairman of the House could not be delegated even to the Deputy Chairman, let alone a member of the panel of presiding officers who conducted proceedings in the absence of the Chairman or the Deputy Chairman, he said.

Mr. Thippanna had made a mockery of democracy by allowing the minority to rule over the majority in the House, Mr. Patil said.

The Congress had submitted two memorandums to Governor T.N. Chaturvedi on the matter. But the Governor was yet to respond. All Congress MLAs and MLCs would meet the Governor shortly seeking his intervention in resolving the standoff, Mr. Patil said.

Leader of the House D.H. Shankaramurthy, defending the ruling, said Mr. Thippanna was forced to act against the Congress members as specified in the rulebook. Only the House could withdraw the ruling now, he argued.

The Congress was only "playing tricks" despite knowing that electing the Chairman of the House and Mr. Thippanna presiding over the House were two unrelated subjects, he said.

The Congress had delayed the election of the Chairman for 14 months when it was in power. The Government was not against holding the election. But it needed some time, he said.

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