Oppn protests over K’taka issue, Cong stages walk-out

Oppn protests over K'taka issue, Cong stages walk-out

The issue of ongoing political crisis in Karnataka cast its shadow in the Lok Sabha on Friday and enraged members of the Opposition staged a walk-out.

As soon as the Question Hour was over, members of the Congress, NCP and DMK wanted to discuss the crisis in Karnataka Assembly. They were vociferously protesting that their adjournment motion to discuss the issue was rejected by Speaker Om Birla.  Birla said he will allow them to raise the issue after the laying of papers.

Dissatisfied over the Speaker’s ruling, opposition and the Congress members, led by Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, staged a walkout in protest. Earlier, during the Question Hour, members from the Congress trooped into the Well and demanded that they be allowed to speak.

The Speaker told the Opposition members that the House had agreed that state-related issues will not be discussed in Parliament but he had allowed them to raise the issue of Karnataka political crisis twice during Zero Hour. As protests from Opposition members continued, the Speaker assured the Opposition miembers that he would allow their leader to speak on the issue during the Zero Hour.

Amid heated debate over the resignation of 15 MLAs of the ruling JD(S)-Congress coalition government, triggering a crisis in the ruling coalition in Karnataka, Governor Vajubhai R Vala has asked Chief Minster HD Kumaraswamy to prove his majority, on Friday afternoon.