The Legislative Assembly was adjourned sine die on Saturday amidst dharna by the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party members, who refused to withdraw their protest till Primary and Secondary Education Minister Tanvir Sait resigned from his post.
The BJP members resumed their over-night dharna as soon as the House met in the morning and demanded the minister’s resignation on moral grounds for allegedly watching objectionable pictures of women over phone during the State-sponsored Tipu Jayanthi celebrations.
This angered Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who launched an offensive against the BJP members. Terming the BJP’s demand for the minister’s resignation as “politically motivated,” he alleged that the BJP was always targeting the minorities.
Accusing the BJP of trying to turn a non-issue into a controversy, the Chief Minister said prima facie there was no evidence to prove that the minister had committed a blunder.
Defending Mr. Sait, the Chief Minister ruled out the possibility of asking the minister to quit yielding to the BJP’s pressure. “We have ordered an inquiry by the cyber crime wing of the CID. We will take next course of action based on the outcome of the inquiry,” he said.
“What moral right you have to demand the minister’s resignation when your own members lack morality which is evident with some of them watching objectionable clip in the Assembly,” he shot back at the BJP.
Angered by the Chief Minister’s remarks, the BJP members indulged in slogan-shouting, leading to adjournment of the House for some time. When the House resumed, Speaker K.B. Koliwad allowed some of the business to be transacted amidst dharna, before adjourning the House sine die.
