Bengaluru

A heated exchange between the treasury and opposition over party ideologies, absence of ministers and officials led to uproar in Karnataka Legislative Council on Wednesday, following which Chairman Saleem Ahmed adjourned the proceedings for a brief period.

JD(S) MLC Bhoje Gowda questioned how discussions could take place as nine ministers and senior officials are not present in the House.

Ahmed asked the Leader of the House, Yathindra Siddaramaiah, to ensure that the ministers and officials concerned attended the proceedings, and warned that action could be taken against officials who failed to report to the House.

Minister Yathindra said all ministers were on their way to the House, barring one or two who had indicated that they would not be able to attend.

Later, an argument over party ideologies between the treasury bench members and the opposition BJP led to uproar, following which the Chairman adjourned the House for a brief moment.

Earlier, Congress MLC K Shivakumar raised the issue of farmers’ plight, increase in fertiliser prices and remunerative prices for agricultural produce based on the cost of production.

“Let all of us together pass a resolution in this House, without any discrimination, on what Karnataka should get,” Shivakumar said, adding that without adequate support, “Karnataka farmers will not survive and there would be no production.”

He sought cold storage facilities, equipment and other measures to strengthen farmers, and said the Swaminathan Committee report on agriculture should be implemented.

Highlights of the disruptions

Empty treasury benches: When the session commenced, only a couple of ministers were present, leaving most of the ruling party’s seats entirely vacant.

Demands of the Opposition: Opposition leaders urged the Chair to briefly adjourn the proceedings to send a “strong message” to the ruling government regarding their accountability.

Chair’s response: Acknowledging the empty benches, the House leadership briefly adjourned the session to allow ministers time to arrive and ensure proper legislative function.