The screenplay was ready and the stage was set. The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) council witnessed uproarious scenes and, as usual, several subjects were approved by Mayor Sharadamma in the melee. The ruling party (BJP) seemed to have been prepared for this, as the subjects were taken up soon after the ruckus began.
It began when the Janata Dal (Secular) Floor Leader Padmanabha Reddy moved a motion under Rule 52 of the Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act, 1976, and urged Ms. Sharadamma to allow discussion on the multi-crore scam in Malleswaram, Gandhinagar and Rajarajeshwarinagar divisions. Congress councillors, including Opposition Leader M. Udayshankar, supported Mr. Reddy.
Discussion demanded
However, both Ms. Sharadamma and Ruling Party Leader B.R. Nanjundappa said the motion could not be allowed and proceeded to take up subjects for approval. Incensed at being denied an opportunity to discuss the scam, the Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) councillors stormed the well and raised slogans against the Bharatiya Janata Party. Some councillors, including Mr. Reddy, even went up to the Mayor's podium to urge Ms. Sharadamma to allow a discussion on the scam. In the commotion that followed, Mr. Nanjundappa read out the serial numbers of the subjects, which was seconded by Dr. Rajkumar ward councillor Gangabyraiah and approved by the Mayor. Nandini Layout councillor M. Nagaraj tried to snatch the subject copy from Mr. Nanjundappa. However, the BJP councillors, who seemed to expect such an “attack”, had formed a protective cordon around Mr. Nanjundappa.
After more than 55 subjects were approved in such a manner, Ms. Sharadamma adjourned the meeting for 15 minutes, even as the Opposition councillors continued their protest.
Siddaiah's transfer
When the meeting resumed, Mr. Padmanabha Reddy questioned the timing of the transfer of the former Commissioner Siddaiah. “The transfer was the punishment for unearthing the multi-crore scam and handing it over to the Bangalore Metropolitan Task Force (BMTF) for investigation. Mr. Siddaiah only exercised powers under KMC Act, 1976, and yet he was transferred. He may have erred by not informing the council first though,” he conceded.
Lokayukta or CBI
Even though the Government had ordered a probe by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Mr. Reddy said that the scam should be investigated only by the Lokayukta. “The Lokayukta should investigate works taken up from 2008-09 to 2010-11 in all the 28 Assembly constituencies,” he demanded.
Mr. Udayshankar demanded an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and stated that he did not trust the CID to probe the multi-crore scam. The BJP councillors, in turn, said that the CBI was nothing but “Congress Bureau of Investigation” and that scams had taken place even during the Congress tenure. Mr. Nagaraj challenged the BJP to hand over investigation of works executed in the city during the Congress regime as well to the CBI.
When the councillors continued to spar, Ms. Sharadamma adjourned the meeting.
Mourned
Earlier, the councillors mourned the death of former Mayor and former president of Kannada Sahitya Parishath G. Narayana and former Minister M.Y. Ghorpade. Mr. Nanjundappa, Mr. Udayshankar, Mr. Reddy, Hanumanthnagar councillor K. Chandrashekar and Sunkenahalli councillor P.N. Sadashiva spoke.
