On the eve of the 40th Anniversary of imposition of emergency, Karnataka Legislative Council Chairman D. H. Shankaramurthy kicked up political dust by remarking that he was scared that emergency days may recur as the Congress was still continuing with the “politics of dynastic cult” which was responsible for imposing emergency on the country.
“While the Congress continues to follow dynastic politics, none from that family have even apologised for the black days of emergency. Some times, this creates a fear in me that my children and grand children may face those dark days of emergency again in the future. I am not worried for myself as I may not see emergency days again in my lifetime,” he told a press conference in Bengaluru. Mr. Shankaramurthy was imprisoned for 19 months during the emergency.
Meanwhile, he sought to downplay the episode of Janata Dal (S) MLA M. T. Krishnappa writing a letter to Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa seeking permission to table a private member’s Bill for abolition of the Legislative Council on the grounds that people with political influence were being nominated as its members rather than eminent personalities.
“I agree that only eminent personalities should be nominated to the Upper House. But the 75-member House has only 11 nominated members. Also there are experts from various fields such as graduates, teachers and local bodies,” he said and maintained that one should not come to a conclusion that all the members of the Upper House are those who have made it through political influence. He said United Nations had recently congratulated the Upper House for holding a detailed discussion on children’s rights.
Hinting that it was difficult to abolish the Upper House, he said such a process involved long and complex legal exercise which needed the support of the Assembly and Lok Sabha.
