Cong MPs demand debate on K'taka crisis in RS, stage protest

Congress Rajya Sabha MPs from Karnataka Tuesday accused the BJP of "destabilising" the state's coalition government as they raised the pitch for a debate on the crisis in the Upper House of Parliament.

They said that they will continue to protest till their demand for the debate in Rajya Sabha was not met.

The Rajya Sabha witnessed uproar over the Karnataka crisis with opposition Congress members storming the well of the House and raising slogans, leading to adjournment of proceedings for the day. Chairman of the House, Venkaiah Naidu, did not allow the Congress members to debate on the crisis.

The ruling Congress-JDS coalition in Karnataka has slipped into minority after 14 MLAs (11 from the Congress and three from JD-S) resigned and two Independents withdrew support to it.

Briefing the media, Congress MP B K Hariprasad said, "The BJP is saying it is not involved in destabilising the government. It is a big lie. From whose aircraft were the resigned MLAs flown to Mumbai?"

He also alleged that Karnataka BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa's personal assistant as well as Union minister Piyush Goyal were carrying out 'Operation Kamala' on the direction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Operation Kamala is a reference to the BJP allegedly luring several opposition MLAs to resign their assembly membership and defect, and later win the election on the saffron party ticket to ensure stability of its then-government headed Yeddyurappa in 2008.

"This is the sixth time BJP is trying to destabilise the current government (in Karnataka) in the last one year. We are going to fight against Modi-Shah's plan to pull down the Karnataka government," Hariprasad said.

The Congress MP, however, said the party's resigned MLAs will return.

"They have been forced to resign due to pressure of CBI and Enforcement Directorate. They were blackmailed to resign," he alleged.

These issues need to be discussed in Parliament and a demand has been made to allow a debate on the same, he added.

Syed Naseer Hussain, G C Chandrashekhar, K C Rammurthy, Rajeev Gowda and L Hanumanthaiah are the other Congress MPs from the state present at the briefing.