A senior Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party MLA, S Suresh Kumar, has lashed out at the decision to allot IPL tickets to legislators, branding the move an example of "VIP culture" and confirming he will refuse his share. Speaking on Saturday, the former minister expressed his dismay at how swiftly the government acted on the matter, noting that the announcement came a mere 24 hours after the issue was raised in the State Assembly.
The controversy follows a statement by Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who confirmed that the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) had agreed to provide two tickets per MLA for the opening match between RCB and SRH at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. This arrangement was brokered after a cross-party discussion in the Assembly where legislators complained about poor seating and ticketing hurdles. Speaker UT Khader had gone as far as suggesting that every MLA should receive four VIP tickets.
In a sharply worded statement, Kumar questioned the socialist credentials of the Siddaramaiah-led government. He remarked that it was unfortunate to see such entitlement persisting under a "self-proclaimed socialist" Chief Minister, even taking a swipe at a previous incident where the CM’s grandson appeared on a victory stage following RCB’s success last year.
Kumar admitted he had felt compelled to intervene during the initial Assembly debate but was silenced by his own surprise when the Speaker joined the calls for special treatment. He noted that the public is increasingly asking whether their representatives are gathered to discuss the plight of the common man or to fret over their own privileges and status.
Highlighting the irony of the situation, Kumar recalled a tragic stampede outside the same stadium last June, which claimed eleven lives during victory celebrations. He highlighted that while the assembly had earlier expressed grief over this tragedy, the focus has now shifted to an "angry discussion" about how to get match passes. He also noted that such a focus would only contribute to the level of contempt that people have for the political class.
Kumar concludes by saying that a politician only ends up diminishing himself in the eyes of the people by holding on to such perks. He also noted that the speed at which the government has responded to the issue of tickets, compared to the slowness of responding to people's grievances, is a worrying sign for the people.
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