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Kumaraswamy sets up faceoff with Guv on floor test, Speaker says discussion fir…

Karnataka’s HD Kumaraswamy government on Friday headed into a confrontation with Governor Vajubhai Vala who has ordered him to prove his majority in the assembly by 1.30 pm, telling the assembly that the Governor could not dictate the proceedings of the legislature.

“The (trust vote) motion is the property of the House… The governor cannot dictate the proceedings of the house,” Karnataka minister Krishna Byregowda told the state assembly shortly after Chief Minister Kumaraswamy red-flagged the governor’s directive.

Follow LIVE updates on Karnataka political developments here.

Kumaraswamy pointed to the message that he had received from the governor last evening and asked Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar to take a call. For effect, Kumaraswamy recalled that the Supreme Court’s interim ruling on the rebel MLAs did underline that the speaker would function unfettered.

“You, Speaker sir, must decide if the governor has such powers to direct us on a matter that is already in the House… Matters (trust vote) need to be discussed,” Kumaraswamy said shortly before 1.30 pm.

In his letter to Kumaraswamy last evening, Governor Vala had pointed to the 15 ruling coalition lawmakers who resigned from the assembly and the two independents who withdrew their support to conclude that the Congress-JDS coalition appeared to “have lost majority/confidence of the House”.

Kumaraswamy pointed to this message from the governor last evening and asked Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar to take a call. For effect, Kumaraswamy recalled that the Supreme Court’s interim ruling on the rebel MLAs did underline that the speaker would function unfettered.

“You, Speaker sir, must decide if the governor has such powers to direct us on a matter that is already in the House… Matters (trust vote) need to be discussed,” Kumaraswamy said shortly before the 1.30 pm was due to expire.

Byregowda, the senior minister who intervened during the chief minister’s speech to amplify the points that his boss made, stressed that the governor’s directive had not come before the assembly started discussing the trust vote but after the House took it up.

The senior minister stressed that they could not be mute spectators when wrongs are committed because they would otherwise, be complicit in such improprieties. The attacks on the governor soon got shriller, and louder.

“In May 2018, the Governor gave the BJP 15 days to prove majority but we’re given 15 hours. If this doesn’t smack of conspiracy, what does?” he asked, underscoring that if one institution goes against the rules, it would lead to problems.

First Published:
Jul 19, 2019 13:18 IST

Source: HindustanTimes