The unprecedented chaos witnessed in the State Legislative Council on Tuesday, over the issue of no-confidence motion against the Chairman, has led to a demand for the abolition of the Upper House of the State legislature by farmers’ organisations.
President of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) and Hasiru Sene Badagalapura Nagendra said he would shortly write to both President Ram Nath Kovind as well as Governor Vajubhai R. Vala to abolish the Council.
He contended that the Council, which was meant to serve as a forum for intellectuals, had now degenerated into a “rehabilitation centre for disgruntled politicians”. The Council has become a “white elephant” and the government should abolish the House, he said.
He said members of the Council were oblivious to the fact that their “shameful Tuesday’actions” would be shown to the world through the media and said the present members of the august House should learn a lesson or two from the proceedings of village panchayats, which were “bereft of such goondaism and use of unparliamentary language”. He held the members of all the three political parties responsible for the pandemonium.
Echoing Mr. Nagendra’s views was president of the Karnataka State Sugarcane Growers’ Association Kurubur Shanthakumar. “The Legislative Council is no longer a House of the elders,” said Mr. Shanthakumar, who is also president of the Confederation of Farmers’ Associations in Karnataka.
He alleged that money power fetches seat in some cases, which in turn gives such members protection from law. Karnataka would not only save crores of rupees, but also its honour if the Upper House was done away with, he said.
Contending that people of the State were hanging their heads in shame after witnessing the uproarious scenes in the House on Tuesday, Mr. Shanthakumar pointed out that neighbouring Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu do not have Legislative Councils.
Taking the same line, president of another faction of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha Kodihalli Chandrashekhar asked, “What is the point in having a House whose members indulge in behaviour which makes everyone hang their head in shame?”
He pointed out that the Upper House was constituted with the intention of bringing a finer sensibility into politics and to sensitise the political system on various issues by bringing in reputed personalities as its members. “But such a thing is not happening,” he said. He too said that it was better to abolish the Upper House and reduce the financial burden on people.
‘No such plans’
Meanwhile, Minister for Cooperation S.T. Somashekhar, who is also Minister in charge of Mysuru district, told reporters that there was no proposal before the government to abolish the Council. “No such discussions has taken place in the government,” he said.
