From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Sep 23: Opposition Congress leader and former Chief Ministeer Siddaramaiah, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President D K Shivakumar and other State Congress leaders have announced their decision to boycott the address of the State Assembly by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.

“Under the parliamentary norms and regulations, only the members as well as the President of India or the State Governor can speak in the State legislature. Nobody is else is empowered to speak,’’ the Congress leaders said and objected to the State Assembly Speaker Visveshwar Hegde Kageri and Legislative Council Chairman Basavaraj Horatti decision to invite the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to address the House.

Speaking to media representatives in Vidhana Soudha, the State Congress leaders including KPCC Working President Ishwar Khandre, former minister Priyank Kharge and Congress Chief Whip in the Assembly Dr Ajay Singh, said the decision of the Assembly Speaker to invite the Lok Sabha Speaker to address the House was totally against parliamentary norms and conventions.

Shivakumar, Siddaramaiah and other State Congress leaders condemned the decision of Kageri and Horatti to invite Lok Sabha Speaker to address the State Legislature on democracy and protection of parliamentary norms as part of the Amrith Mahosthsav of Indian Independence.

“How can the Lok Sabha Speaker address State legislature on democracy and parliamentary norms and conventions, when he himself is going to be part of the move to flout them in Karnataka? The State Legislature has a spending history and has produced stalwarts,’’ the Congress leaders said.

They pointed out that the Congress leaders had stoutly objected to the move when it was proposed in the Business Advisory Committee of the Legislature.

“The Assembly Speaker and Council Chairman are distributing formal invites without consulting the opposition leaders, which is totally wrong,’’ they said and asserted that the ruling BJP can arrange the address in the banquet hall of Vidhana Soudha.

“We have no objection if the address by the Lok Sabha Speaker is addressed in the banquet hall of Vidhana Soudha. If we are extended the invite, we will also attend,’’ they said and pointed out that the subject of the proposed address indicates that the ruling dispensation is responsible for the collapse of parliamentary norms and conventions.

Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar said the party discussed the issue in the Legislature Party meeting and have decided to boycott the address if the ruling dispensation goes ahead in organising the event in the State Assembly, which cannot be used a political platform.

They also announced a Tanga Jatha to Vidhana Soudha on Friday at 10 am from the party office at Queen’s Road to Vidhana Soudha as part of their continued agitation against the rise in prices of essential commodities, including petrol, diesel and LPG.