The Karnataka Legislative Assembly was a scene of total chaos on Wednesday as Bharatiya Janata Party and Janata Dal(Secular) members flooded the well of the House, shouting for the immediate resignation of Excise Minister RB Timmapur. The drama was actually a continuation from Tuesday, when opposition MLAs staged an all-night sit-in protest after Timmapur flatly refused to step down over a multi-crore bribery scandal.
The BJP and JD(S) continued their day-and-night protest at the Vidhana Soudha on Wednesday, demanding the resignation of Excise Minister RB Thimmapur over the alleged excise scam.
The BJP-JD(S) legislators camped overnight at the Vidhana Soudha and spent the night inside the Assembly. Some leaders, including BJP state President BY Vijayendra and Leader of Opposition R Ashoka, went for a morning walk within the premises.
Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka spearheaded the attack, alleging that the Excise Department has become a hub for kickbacks in exchange for liquor licenses and official transfers. He pointed to claims by the wine merchants' association that the scam has ballooned to nearly ₹6,000 crore. To back this up, Ashoka claimed to have handed over three pen drives containing audio recordings of an Excise Deputy Commissioner discussing commissions meant for the Minister.
"I’m asking the Chief Minister to take his resignation now," Ashoka said. "Let the inquiry happen. If he’s cleared in three months, bring him back." He didn't stop there, taking a direct shot at CM Siddaramaiah’s silence on the matter and questioning if the "looted money" was being funnelled to fund the Congress party’s campaigns in other election-bound states.
The rhetoric got even sharper as the morning went on. Ashoka accused the state government of treating Karnataka not just as an "ATM" for the Congress leadership, but as their "Reserve Bank" to pay for elections in states like Assam and Kerala. The protest soon escalated into chanting slogans against Rahul Gandhi, adding fuel to the fire.
The Speaker, UT Khader, attempted to steer the proceedings in the right direction by trying to move on to a discussion on the MGNREGA act, but the opposition was not cooperating. As the shouting matches escalated into a cacophony of noise, with nothing much happening in the House, the Deputy Speaker, Rudrappa Lamani, was compelled to adjourn the session.
Also read: Foxconn faces tax row in Karnataka, villagers warn of protest
Follow us
