Opposition Congress and JDS today ended their five-day-old dharna, demanding CBI probe into the alleged illegal mining in the state, in the Karnataka Assembly in the wake of the House being adjourned sine die, but said they would continue their fight on the issue outside.
“We are calling off the dharna as the House has been adjourned sine-die. However, we will continue our fight against illegal mining against the BJP government outside the House,” Opposition Congress Deputy Leader T. B. Jayachandra and JDS leader H. D. Revanna told reporters here.
Leaders of both the parties will soon be meeting Governor H. R. Bhardwaj to plead with him to withhold assent to 17 bills passed in both Houses of the legislature without discussion since yesterday, they said.
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Earlier in the day, Speaker K. G. Bopaiah adjourned the Assembly sine die, cutting short the session by nearly a fortnight as his repeated pleas to the Opposition to call of the dharna went in vain.
Mr. Jayachandra said the future course of action, including setting a date for ‘Bellary Chalo’ programme planned by Congress, would be finalised shortly.
KPCC president R. V. Dehspande and Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Siddaramaiah (Congress) are in Delhi attending a meeting called by the party and the local unit is waiting for their return to chalk out future plans of agitation.
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JDS would have consultation with Congress to decide on the next course of agitation, Mr. Revanna said.
Both the opposition parties which have a combined strength of 101 members in the 224-member Assembly staged the dharna since July 12 demanding CBI probe into illegal mining, which the government rejected.
“Our demand for a CBI inquiry will continue,” Mr. Jayachandra said.