Tabling of Manippady report on wakf properties creates heat

Several Bills were passed in the din without discussion

Amid protest from the combined Opposition over the placing of the Anwar Manippady report on irregularities in wakf properties before the Legislative Council late on Thursday, the Upper House on Friday passed the Karnataka Stamp (3rd Amendment) Bill, Karnataka State Civil Services (Regulation of posting and Transfer of Teachers) Bill, Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board (Amendment) Bill, and Karnataka Land Grabbing Prohibition (Amendment) Bill without any discussion.

Chairman Raghunath Rao Malkapure asked the Ministers to move the Bills even as Congress members were staging a protest in the well with placards against the Manippady report being tabled in the Council without any intimation and copies not being distributed to members. The JD(S) members too joined the Congress members in the well after they were denied permission to raise the issue of irregularities in the BMS Educational Trust.

Earlier in the morning, soon after the House met, Congress members took objection and raised slogans against the government for placing the Karnataka State Minorities Commission report on alleged irregularities and land-grabbing, and accused the BJP of trying to divert attention. “Though secrecy had to be maintained, the contents of the report were known to a member, who accused that Congress leaders had been named in the report. It is unfair that the government did not give the report to all members,” Leader of Opposition B.K. Hariprasad said.

House Leader and Social Welfare Minister Kota Srinivas Poojary said the report had been placed before the House following the Supreme Court order. Supporting the Congress members, JD(S) member S.L. Bhoje Gowda said the government failed to maintain secrecy of the report.

The Congress members, who had been convinced to allow Question Hour and Zero Hour, started their protest again when the government wanted to move the Bills for clearance. In the melee, the Bills were cleared and the House was adjourned sine die.