BS Yeddyurappa’s campaign against the ‘Shadi Bhagya’ programme of the state government which provides a lump sum payment of Rs50,000 for girls from the minority community at the time of their marriage did not make much headway on first day of the winter session assembly, which began here on Monday.
The former chief minister urged the speaker Kagodu Thimmappa to allow discussion on his call attention question, demanding that the programme be extended to girls of all communities.
After Thimmappa denied a discussion on the question, Yeddyurappa rushed to the well of the house along with five MLAs of his party—Vishwanath Patil, Guru Patil, Gurupadappa Nagamarpalli, UB Banakar and Bhojaraj R Patil and sat on a dharna, demanding that his demand for a debate be considered.
When the Speaker would not pay attention to his plea for over half an hour, Yeddyurappa repeated his demand. Irked by the former chief minister’s actions, the Speaker asked him to resume his seat.
An enraged Yeddyurappa threw away the agenda papers and dared the Speaker to evict them from the house. After a harsh exchange of words, he and his fellow MLAs continued with their sit-in till lunch break, ignoring requests to desist, made by former chief ministers HD Kumaraswamy, Jagadish Shettar and other leaders.
Conscious that words uttered by him would not go on record, Yeddyurappa continued to sit in the well.
At one point, Thimmappa told him: “You can present your views and get the answer from the government. If you won’t get satisfaction after the answer, you have every right to protest in democratic set-up.”
Minister TB Jayachandra repeatedly requested Yeddyurappa to take his seat, promising to consider his call-attention motion, but the former chief minister paid no heed.
“My protest of 25 days is ignored by the government,” he shouted heatedly.
Basavaraj Rayaraddi (Congress) was raising points of order, but his attempts were in vain, as all members were involved in the ruckus.
In the afternoon, Yeddyurappa, who continued his sit-in, urged the Speaker to provide a stool to rest his feet on. Thimmappa, however, pointed out that rules had no provision for such a demand to be met.
Yeddyurappa declared that he would agitate “day and night and sleep in the well”.
