Belgaum session a political gimmick: Congress

Bangalore, Sep 23 (UNI) Former Karnataka Minister and senior Congress leader D B Chandre Gowda today alleged that convening the special session of the Legislature in Belgaum was a political gimmick of the JD(S)-BJP coalition Government to divert people's attention from the bribery charges against the Chief Minister.

Terming the session as ''illegal and violative of the Constitution'', he told newspersons here that proper procedures as laid out in the Constitution were not followed in convening the session.

Mr Gowda said the session should have been convened in consultation with the Opposition parties, but it was not done so.

The decision was neither taken by the Ministers nor Council Chairman as required under the Constitution. Even the Chief Minister had no power to take such a decision. Nowhere in the country had the Legislature session been held outside the State Capital, except Nagpur and Kashmir where all infrastructure was developed.

On the border issue, he said the Mahajan Commission report was final and it was binding on both the Centre and States concerned.

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