ELECTIONS '98
COMMENTARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ARCHIVES

Opposition forces house probe into Karnataka violence

A persistent opposition in the two houses of the Karnataka legislature today successfully forced the J H Patel government to order a house committee probe into theviolent incidents in Sira town of Tumkur district in which six people were killed on October 28.

Both the houses were adjourned soon after they assembled for the day as the opposition members continued their dharna urging the government to agree to a house committee probe and also suspend the officials concerned for not taking precautionary measures. However, after discussions between the opposition and treasury benches in the presiding officers chambers, the matter was resolved.

In the morning, the lower house also witnessed heated exchanges between the treasury and opposition benches and at one stage deputy chief minister Siddaramaiah was seen having a wordy duel with Kannada Chaluvali Vatal Paksha member Vatal Nagaraj over certain remarks made by the latter due to absence of ministers in the house.

In the assembly, following an appeal by speaker Ramesh Kumar to end the dharna by opposition memebrs, Chief Minister J H Patel announced the house committee probe while in the upper house a similar statement was made by deputy chief minister Siddaramaiah.

Patel told the lower house that action would be taken against the erring officials after receiving the report of the house committee.

Leader of the opposition in the council, H K Patil, urged the government to ensure market intervention by offering support price to farmers and avoid slump in the prices of agricultural commodities.

In New Delhi, Congress president Sonia Gandhi deputed a two-member team to make an on-the-spot assessment of the situation in Tumkur district of Karnataka where six farmers were killed in police firing recently.

Party spokesman Anil Shastri told reporters here that the team would submit its report to the party president by Monday. Condemning the incident, he said the government had failed to provide adequate security to the farmers.

He said there was a sense of insecurity prevailing among the farmers after the unfortunate incident.

UNI

Tell us what you think of this report