Senior Congress MLA Basavaraj Rayareddi.
Credit: DH File Photo
Belagavi: The Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Tuesday saw a heated exchange of words between a senior member of the ruling Congress and the Speaker over Question Hour proceedings going on for a longer duration than scheduled.
Unhappy with the Question Hour being stretched, Congress MLA Basavaraj Rayareddy said the Speaker should "tear" the rule book if he is not following it. He walked out of the House in a huff after the Chair ticked him off for coming late and asked him not to interrupt the proceedings.
The incident occurred when Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy was replying to a question raised by Congress MLA N A Haris on "Brand Bengaluru", on behalf of Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, which saw participation from opposition BJP members.
The discussion on this specific question went on for a slightly longer duration, with BJP and ruling Congress MLAs engaging in arguments on initiatives under 'Brand Bengaluru''.
Opposition legislators such as C N Ashwath Narayan and Satish Reddy alleged that no work has taken place in the city under the current government.
BJP MLA Basangouda Patil Yatnal alleged that Bengaluru has become a "Bomb City", citing the recent bomb scare at a large number of schools in and around the city, resulting in chaos. His remarks led to another heated exchange between both sides.
As the discussion and arguments between both sides went on for some time, senior Congress MLA Basavaraj Rayareddy said, "I request you (Speaker), this is Question Hour, not Question Hours....
"There seems to be no law in this House, tear the handbook (on rules) and throw aside (M N) Kaul and (S L ) Shakdher (Compilation on Practice and Procedure of Parliament) ....Honourable Speaker, you are a Speaker, please follow the rules."
Irked by this, Speaker U T Khader told Rayareddy, "You came at 12 (one hour late) and come and preach here, please sit down...."
As the Speaker repeatedly told Rayareddy to sit down, the latter asserted, "I'm also a senior member, I have got my rights... I have respect for the Chair, please listen to me...if you don't have a patience to listen to a member, what can I do?"
Telling Rayareddy that the Chair had heard him and that he was speaking the same things repeatedly unnecessarily and wasting time, Khader asked the senior MLA, "You follow me, please sit down and allow the proceedings to continue."
Agitated as the Speaker did not let him speak and asked the minister to continue with his reply, Rayareddy announced that he would walk out of the House if there was no value of his words, and marched out of the House.
He expressed his anger against ministers Priyank Kharge and Dinesh Gundu Rao, who tried to pacify him and referred to his seniority.
As Rayareddy walked out of the House, opposition BJP members asked the Chair and the ruling party to get the senior member back and treat him respectfully, but the Speaker did not relent and continued with the proceedings.