Cong to petition Governor against suspension

Bangalore, Feb 13 (UNI) The Congress in Karnataka today decided to petition the Governor against the Officiating Chairman of the Karnataka Legislative Council suspending the entire main Opposition Congress members from the House for the rest of the session.

Addressing a press conference here, Leader of the Opposition H K Patil termed the action as ''undemocratic, unconstitutional and a mockery of democracy''. All the suspended members and party Legislators would submit a petition to the Governor in this regard.

He said the Council had witnessed an unprecedented act in which the ruling party, which was in a minority in the House, had suspended members of the Congress, enjoying a majority. Officiating Chairman N Thipanna had no locus standi to suspend the members as his occupying the Chair itself was a crime, he claimed.

Meanwhile, senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Karnataka Higher Education Minister D H Shankaramurthy accused the Opposition Congress of not allowing the Legislative Council to discuss various burning issues, but being interested only in holding election to the Council Chairman's post.

Speaking to newspersons here, he strongly supported the suspension, stating that there was no other option before Mr Thipanna to conduct the House smoothly. He hoped that with the suspension of the Congress members, the House would function smoothly.

Mr Shankaramurthy defended the appointment of Mr Thipanna as being in accordance with the Constitutional provisions. The issue had created an impasse in the House, with the Congress sticking to its demand for fresh election and the Government turning it down.

He said the Government was ready to hold election to the vacant post, but the Congress could not dictate terms to the Government on the issue. ''The Congress members are indulging in drama to pressurise the State Government,'' he claimed.

UNI