BJP, JD(S) present memorandum to governor on Cong govt deploying IAS officers to receive I.N.D.I.A leaders

BENGALURU: The opposition BJP and the JD(S) on Thursday called on Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot and presented a memorandum urging him to seek and explanation from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for deputing senior IAS officers to receive political leaders from various states who attended the I.N.D.I.A meeting in Bengaluru on July 17 and 18.

Surprisingly, the memorandum made no mention of the suspension of 10 BJP MLAs by Assembly Speaker U T Khader on Wednesday after BJP members staged a protest, tore up copies of Bills and flung it towards Deputy Speaker Rudrappa Lamani.

Fomer CM and JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy and his MLAs too signed on the memorandum typed out on the letterhead of the BJP legislature party. The memorandum alleges violation of protocols, misuse of officials and administrative machinery in receiving attendees for the I.N.D.I.A meeting. Both the BJP and JD(S) urged the governor to summon the CM and seek and explanation from him.

Former chief ministers Basavaraj Bommai, H D Kumaraswamy, BJP leaders Nalin Kumar Kateel, CT Ravi, Araga Jnanendra, R Ashoka, Dr C N Ashwath Narayan, Byrathi Basavaraj, Aravind Bellad and others were part of the delegation.

Earlier in the day, Speaker U T Khader met the governor and apprised him about the developments in the Assembly on Wednesday and the subsequent suspension of 10 BJP MLAs. “I have brought to the governor’s attention what happened in the Assembly yesterday and submitted a complete report. I am discharging my responsibilities effectively and I will run the House in a respectable manner. The governor has also given some suggestions”, he said.