Two members of the Legislative Council from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are learnt to have resigned as members of the Special Legislative Committee constituted by Council Chairman K. Prathapchandra Shetty to probe into the pandemonium in the House on December 15.
A.H. Vishwanth and S.V. Sankanur did not attend the first meeting of the committee held on Friday and later submitted their resignations, sources in the BJP confirmed. “It was the party’s call not to be part of the committee formed by the Chairman, against whom the party has moved a no-confidence motion that is at the heart of the dispute,” a senior BJP MLC said.
The committee was formed following a report by Council Secretary K.R. Mahalakshmi, in which she said Deputy Chairman late S.L. Dharme Gowda occupied the Chairman’s seat that day “spontaneously”. Despite being told about the rules of the House, he proceeded to conduct the proceedings, leading to the pandemonium, said the report.
Dharme Gowda left a death note and ended his life on December 28. “It is also not in good taste to probe the conduct of a dead man,” a senior BJP MLC said. The committee was formed with five senior members of the Council and they were not consulted and their consent was not taken before the committee was notified, sources in the BJP contended.
