Council too refers complaint against Balasubramanian to privileges panel

Legislative Council Chairman D.H. Shankaramurthy said that he would decide the next course of action depending upon the Privileges Committee's decision.

The former Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda has accusedthe former official of trying to tarnish his image.

Legislative Council Chairman D.H. Shankaramurthy on Monday referred a complaint by Leader of the Opposition D.V. Sadananda Gowda against the former bureaucrat and chairperson of the Taskforce for Recovery of Public Lands Balasubramanian to the privileges committee to decide whether the conduct of the former official was tantamount to breach of privileges granted to him (Mr. Sadananda Gowda) as a legislator.

Mr. Shankaramurthy said that he would decide the next course of action on the issue depending upon the decision to be taken by the privileges committee.

Appeal

His remarks came in response to Mr. Sadananda Gowda’s appeal to act against the former official. Mr. Sadananda Gowda, who had expressed dissatisfaction over Mr. Balasubramanian’s statement last week, raised the issue again in the House and sought the chair’s permission to move a privilege motion against him.

Media statement

He referred to a media statement by the official in which he had accused Mr. Sadananda Gowda, who was then an MP, of leading a delegation of coffee planters who had encroached upon small extents of government land to the then Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa to ensure that the deputy commissioners did not proceed against them.

“The official may be an honest person. But he is trying to target politicians to gain public sympathy. This is an effort to tarnish my image and also curtail my privileges as a legislator,” he said, even as he made it clear that he was not against taking stringent action against land grabbers.

Similar complaints by MLAs have been referred to the Assembly privileges committee by Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa.