Poor floor management in Karnataka Assembly: LoP Ashoka admits to communication gap
Belagavi (PTI): With a section of BJP MLAs reportedly miffed over "poor" floor management by their leadership in the Karnataka Assembly, its Legislature Party leader R Ashoka on Friday admitted that there was lack of coordination in communicating decision to its members seated on back benches.
Ashoka's decision to stage a walk out from the House on Thursday, accusing the Congress government of trying to protect the accused involved in the attack on a BJP leader by a ruling party MLC and his supporters, and their alleged inaction over police "highhandedness" against its workers, had ticked off a section of party MLAs, who wanted to adopt a different strategy.
Some legislators had openly expressed their displeasure against Ashoka, the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly.
BJP state President and MLA B Y Vijayendra, along with other legislators of the party, reportedly wanted to protest inside the House, and were surprised by the walk-out decision.
"There are media reports about confusion in the BJP. I would like to clarify that -- when we were taking decision on whether to stage a protest or walk out of the House yesterday, our party leader Basangouda Patil Yatnal (MLA) said that if we stage a protest, the debate on drought and (issues facing) north Karnataka will get hampered, and suggested that we stage a walkout," Ashoka told reporters.
He discussed Yatnal's suggestion with other senior BJP legislators seated on the front row in the House -- C N Ashwath Narayan, C C Patil, Araga Jnanendra, Suresh Kumar and also Vijayendra -- and accordingly staged a walkout, as ruling Congress had been accusing BJP of not allowing debate on north Karnataka by holding protests and causing disruptions.
"The decision to stage a walk out instead of protest inside the House, was taken with a good intention of allowing debate on drought and north Karnataka issues in the Assembly, but there was lack of coordination in communicating the same to party legislators seated on back benches. We will rectify it in the days to come," Ashoka added.
The developments on Thursday in the Assembly had caused embarrassment to the party and confusion among some legislators, as some MLAs had staged a protest inside the House, despite Ashoka's decision to walk out. However, they were later persuaded to withdraw their agitation, and stage walk out.
Asked if there is lack of coordination in BJP since the beginning of the session, he said, "we have been successfully confronting the government every day...if anyone has any issues, we will talk to them personally".
Ashoka said, on Monday and Tuesday the BJP will raise issues such as female foeticide, the Cabinet withdrawing consent given to CBI to investigate a disproportionate assets case against Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, and Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan's alleged comments "disrespecting" the position of the Speaker.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
