The Karnataka Legislative Assembly witnessed high drama on Monday, March 16, when Speaker UT Khader abruptly adjourned proceedings, accusing the Congress government of repeatedly ignoring his directives to furnish timely replies to MLAs’ questions during the budget session. The session resumed after Home Minister G Parameshwara assured the Speaker that action would be taken.
When Khader sought replies from the government on Monday, March 16, Home Minister G Parameshwara tabled only 84 answers against the 230 unstarred questions submitted. Last week, the Speaker had raised similar concerns after only around 50 questions received responses.
Expressing strong displeasure, Khader said he had already issued “clear directions” from the Chair four times and that Monday’s remarks were the fifth time he was raising the issue.
“This session is not meant for ministers. It is meant for legislators who meet once in three months to raise issues concerning their constituencies. Only 15 starred questions are taken up during Question Hour. If a majority of unstarred questions go unanswered, why should members come to the House?” he asked.
Stating that there had been “no improvement” despite repeated warnings, he added, “Until the ministers and concerned secretaries explain this lapse, I will not run this House.”
He then adjourned proceedings, prompting applause from the Opposition benches.
R Ashoka, Leader of the Opposition, flagged a pattern of delays, noting that fewer than half of unstarred questions had been answered across the first five days of the session which began on March 6. Khader reiterated that ministers were accountable to legislators and emphasised that House rules required timely replies.
Ashoka had previously accused the ministers in the Congress government of being “busy playing golf and spending time in clubs”, while other Opposition MLAs joked about setting up a committee under Justice HN Nagamohad Das to inquire into why replies to questions were not given.
A few days ago, MLAs from all parties expressed dissatisfaction when Minister for Mines and Geology SS Mallikarjun failed to satisfactorily answer a question, and pointed out that he barely attended proceedings in the Assembly.
Following the adjournment, Khader held a meeting with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, R Ashoka, senior ministers, and officials to resolve the issue.
The House reconvened an hour later and the Speaker informed members that the government had agreed to provide answers on time. After lunch, Parameshwara told the Assembly that the Chief Minister had directed principal secretaries to issue notices to officials who had delayed replies and suspend those responsible for significant pendency.
“The government has taken this seriously and will ensure that this is not repeated,” Parameshwara said.
Ashoka, however, maintained that the accountability must extend beyond the bureaucracy. “What unfolded in the Karnataka Assembly today is an unprecedented disgrace, a direct assault on the institution of the Legislature,” he said, adding that it was the first time in the State’s history that a Speaker had been compelled to adjourn the House over the government’s failure to submit written replies.