Congress boycotts Karnataka assembly proceedings to protest passage of anti-cow slaughter bill
Bengaluru, Dec 10: Opposition Congress in Karnataka boycotted the proceedings of the legislative assembly on Thursday, the last day of the winter session, in protest against the introduction and passage of the anti-cow slaughter bill, despite repeated request by the Speaker to participate.
The controversial Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Bill, 2020, was passed in the assembly on Wednesday amid protests by the Opposition.
Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah on Wednesday had announced that Congress will boycott the assembly session on Thursday in protest, terming it as an 'anti-democratic act.'
Congress MLAs participated in the legislature party meeting instead of attending the assembly proceedings today.
As the Congress members were not present in the assembly when the House met for the day, Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri made an appeal to them to participate.
"Opposition leader Siddaramaiah and Congress legislators had yesterday announced that they will boycott the assembly proceedings today and none of them are participating today.
I appeal to them to participate in the proceedings," Kageri said.
Addressing from the Chair, he said the leader of opposition has spoken a couple of things about him regarding the passage of the cow slaughter bill, and clarified that he has conducted the house within the framework of set rules and procedures.
Siddaramaiah and Congress had on Wednesday accused the Speaker of conducting proceedings in a 'partisan' manner by allowing the introduction and passage of the bill.
He said it was against the decision of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) and the subject was not even mentioned in the day's agenda.
At the BAC meeting it was clearly discussed and decided that ordinance and important bills can be taken up, the Speaker pointed out as he read out his statement made to this effect by him in the House on Tuesday.
"... so it is not right to say things were against the BAC decision."
He also pointed out that the bill was mentioned in the supplementary agenda on Wednesday, before it was tabled and passed, also the copy of the bill was circulated among members.
"So alleging that the bill was introduced and passed without bringing to the notice of the house in advance, was not right."
Kageri also rejected the LoP's charge that the bill was passed without discussion, by stating that several members from the ruling side expressed their opinion about the bill, following which he repeatedly asked protesting Congress members to participate in the discussion.
"They not participating despite repeated requests is not my responsibility."
Conceding that though it was not mentioned in specific at the BAC that the anti cow slaughter bill will be taken up, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister J C Madhuswamy said however, it was made clear that a couple of important bills will be introduced during the session.
He said only after realising that the legislative council will also be adjourned sine die on Thursday, the cow slaughter bill was introduced in the assembly, with an intention to get it passed in both the houses during the same session.
"During the last sessions some bills passed by the assembly got held up in the council without getting passed and we (government) had to promulgate an ordinance.
It looks as though we are only promulgating ordinances.
Governor also had questioned," he said, as he asked the Congress legislators to participate in the proceedings and debate on the BBMP bill.
Minister R Ashoka hit out at Congress for making allegations on the chair and the government, pointing to its conduct in the past while in power.
He said the cow slaughter bill was on our agenda, we had nothing to hide in it, and Congress cannot dictate terms on how to conduct the House.
The Speaker then adjourned the House for some time to make efforts to convince the opposition leader and Congress MLAs to get back to the House.
When the House resumed, as the Congress legislators did not participate in the proceedings, citing that the legislature party meeting was on, the Speaker continued with the proceedings.
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'Engineered narratives': West Bengal guv on alleged molestation charges against him
Kolkata, May 2: West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose on Thursday said he will not be cowed down by “engineered narratives” and the "truth shall triumph” after TMC leaders claimed that a woman working at Raj Bhavan levelled allegations of molestation against him.
In a statement, the Governor said, “Truth shall triumph. I refuse to be cowed down by engineered narratives. If anybody wants some election benefits by maligning me, God bless them. But they cannot stop my fight against corruption and violence in Bengal,”
To the Raj Bhavan staff "who expressed solidarity with him following some derogatory narratives that were circulated by two disgruntled employees as agents of political parties," a communication by Raj Bhawan said.
The Governor’s statement came after senior TMC leaders claimed this evening in a series of social media posts that the woman, who had levelled the allegations, has been taken to a police station to complain against Bose.
Though police sources said they received a verbal complaint, there was no official word on whether a formal complaint had been registered.
“BIG. Bengal governor CV Ananda Bose was accused of molesting a woman. How utterly appalling and Horrifying. Ahead of @narendramodi visit to Kolkata who is supposed to stay overnight at Raj Bhavan, a woman has alleged that she was molested while she went to meet the Governor at Raj Bhavan today. The complainant has been taken to the Hare Street police station for filing a complaint. The woman has accused the Governor of molesting her. Shocking and disgraceful,” TMC Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghose said in a post on X.
Fellow TMC MP Saket Gokhale also posted on his X account regarding the issue.
West Bengal Women and Child Development Minister Shashi Panja said it is “shameful” that the Governor has maligned his post and has used it to “torture a woman”.
“It is appalling and shocking to see such an incident. This is the same Governor who had reached out to Sandeshkhali to talk about women’s rights and Nari Shakti. This is shameful that the Governor sought undue advantages in the pretext of giving her a permanent job. We want Prime Minister Narendra Modi who will be addressing rallies in Bengal tomorrow to react on this issue,” she said.
According to sources in the Governor's House, the "woman employee with the help of her alleged boyfriend who is also an employee of the Raj Bhavan was blocking complaints (from people) being sent to the Election Commission of India.
"When she was reprimanded for that, she went outside and alleged molestation. She is in the habit of throwing tantrums against her colleagues because of some disease," a Raj Bhavan official said.
The West Bengal Governor and the TMC government have shared an acrimonious relationship since he assumed office in November 2022 and had several run-ins on various issues.
The BJP said it has to be seen whether this a “conspiracy by the TMC” or has an “iota of truth in it”.
“We all know that the TMC is politically cornered on the issue of SSC scam and is looking for a breathing space. So this needs to be seen whether this is a conspiracy by the TMC or it has any iota of truth in it,” BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari said.
BIG. Bengal governor CV Ananda Bose accused of molesting a woman. How utterly APPALLING and HORRIFYING. Ahead of @narendramodi visit to Kolkata who is supposed to stay overnight at Raj Bhavan, a woman has alleged that she was molested while she went to meet the Governor at Raj…
— Sagarika Ghose (@sagarikaghose) May 2, 2024
Shameful that a constitutional office holder should try to prejudice an impartial investigation by attacking the motive of the complainant. We have seen this happen in that infamous Saturday Hearing of the Supreme Court. Respect women! https://t.co/E6eJLQvFXO
— sanjoy ghose (@advsanjoy) May 2, 2024
