K'taka Assembly adjourned amidst dharna by Congess members

Bangalore, Jun 24 (UNI) Karnataka Legislative Assembly was today adjourned for the day following the dharna by Congress members after Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa refused to yield to an opposition demand to set up a Joint House Committee on fertilizer shortage issue.

During a short duration discussion, the Chief Minister had assured the members that he would suspend some developmental programmes to utilise funds for purchase of fertilizers to end problems faced by the farmers. But this did not satisfy the opposition.

Soon after Mr Yeddyurappa completed his reply, Opposition Leader Mallikarjuna Kharge and others demanded a specific reply from the government with regard to proper supply of fertilizers to the farmers across the state.

Mr Kharge condemned the government for its failure to contain the series of suicides by farmers, after the Bharatiya Janata Party assumed power in the state last month, and demanded an apology from the Chief Minister in this regard.

The Chief Minister, giving clarifications, again assured that the fertilizer supply was a national issue and it should be dealt by the centre after taking the states into confidence.

He also assured to take an all party delegation to New Delhi to meet the Prime Minister again to prevail upon him to ensure adequate supply of fertilizers to the state.

However, there was no response to a suggestion made by former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy of Janata Dal(S) to ensure supply of fertilizers from Gujarat where BJP was ruling.

Not satisfied by the reply the Congress members led by the opposition leader trooped into the well of the house shouting slogans against the government.

Speaker Jagadish Shettar adjourned the house till tomorrow morning amidst slogan shouting by the opposition members.

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