The Karnataka Assembly proceedings were disrupted by Opposition protests for the third consecutive day on Wednesday as Congress demanded the resignation of the Health Minister K Sudhakar. But amidst the din, several important bills, including a few finance bills were passed by the government without discussion. The Speaker adjourned the Assembly sine die on Wednesday afternoon.
On Tuesday, the Karnataka Societies Registration (Amendment) Bill which allows the state government to appoint administrators to societies registered under the state government including 6,807 minority societies was passed without discussion. On Wednesday, a similar pattern was followed when finance bills including Fiscal Responsibility (Amendment) Bill 2021 were passed amid ruckus in the morning. The Speaker put the appropriation bills, supplementary estimates, and related financial bills to vote, and they were passed. The Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements (Amendment) Bill, 2021 was also passed by the Assembly.
The Opposition Congress members have since Tuesday from the well of the House and disrupting proceedings under the leadership of Siddaramaiah. They on Monday demanded court-probe against former Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi. They also demanded that six ministers, who moved the court for an injunction against the publication or broadcast of any unverified news about them, resign, saying they are "morally unfit".
Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa was continuously interrupted during the budget discussion because of Congress’ sloganeering. At Speaker’s behest, the CM continued to table his reply. At the end of his reply on the budget, Yediyurappa hit out the opposition Congress and its leaders for unnecessarily protesting and wasting time, aimed at disrupting the budget session. "As they don’t have any issue, they are doing it, I condemn it. People of the state are watching you and will teach a lesson in the days to come, you can't achieve anything from it," he said.
After the CM's reply, the Speaker put the appropriation bills, supplementary estimates, and related financial bills including Fiscal Responsibility (Amendment) Bill 2021 that were tabled, to vote, and they were passed amid the din.
Announcing that the budget and related finance bills have been passed, the Speaker said that the Opposition is not following through with their duties: passing legislations. After his repeated appeals went in vain, the Speaker then adjourned the House for post-lunch.
(With PTI inputs)