Mangaluru: Congress MLC Ivan D’Souza has condemned the corruption allegations made by BJP leaders against Assembly Speaker U.T. Khader, terming them “false, politically motivated, and a breach of the House’s privilege.”
Addressing a press conference in Mangaluru, D’Souza said the Speaker holds one of the most respected constitutional positions in the state legislature. “Any allegation of corruption against the Speaker must follow due legislative process. However, BJP leaders Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri and Dr. Y. Bharath Shetty have made baseless accusations outside the rules of procedure,” he said.
D’Souza announced that a complaint for breach of previlage and complaint for contempt of house would be filed against the two BJP leaders & social media post, claiming their statements had “brought disrepute to the dignity of the House as wel as speaker ”
He pointed out that Khader, as head of the Legislative Secretariat, functions impartially and is not aligned with any political party. “Despite that, BJP MLAs have alleged irregularities in tenders related to legislators’ residential works. If there were irregularities, they should have raised objections earlier. further, nothing prevented them from securing documents from govt departments which had executed the works, as they come under RTI act. Instead, these politically motivated accusations have been made now,” he remarked.
The Congress leader cited Assembly rules which require internal inquiry and verification before making allegations against the Speaker. “Making unverified accusations damages the sanctity of the House. BJP leaders have spoken on assumptions without evidence,” he said.
Referring to the ‘M.N. Kaul and S.L. Shakdher Rules’ that outline parliamentary procedure, D’Souza said these guidelines clearly define the dignity and responsibilities of the Speaker’s office. “BJP MLAs, including Dr. Bharath Shetty and Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, are aware of these rules, yet their conduct is objectionable and amounts to breach of privilege,” he said.
Defending the Speaker, D’Souza maintained that all administrative works were carried out transparently through government agencies. “Given that, there is no room for tender irregularities. The BJP’s allegations are aimed purely at tarnishing the Speaker’s image,” he asserted.
He added that such unfounded allegations had damaged both the honour of the Assembly and the Speaker’s office. “A formal privilege complaint for breach of previlage as well as content of the house will be submitted against the BJP MLAs soon,” D’Souza said.