Members of the Opposition staging a walkout in the Legislative Assembly in Bangalore on Monday.

BANGALORE: The Opposition members staged a walkout in the Legislative Assembly on Monday after Speaker K.G. Bopaiah turned down their plea for an adjournment motion to discuss the B.K. Somasekhara Commission report on the attacks on churches.

Earlier, Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah in his preliminary submission said the Christian community in the State was gripped by insecurity and the Commission's report had heightened their confusion. “They are concerned about the denial of protection to them and their places of worship.”

Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa said there was no precedent of the report of a Commission being discussed in the Assembly before the Cabinet had looked into it.Minister for and Law Parliamentary Affairs Minister S. Suresh Kumar said the Government was still studying the report. “It cannot be brought before the Assembly until it is placed before the Cabinet and a decision on the report is taken by the Government”.
The Government's refusal to facilitate a discussion on the report sparked off heated exchange of words between the Bharatiya Janata Party members on the one side and the Opposition Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) on the other.

While Mr. Siddaramaiah took serious exception to a remark made by Mr. Suresh Kumar, which was later expunged from the records, Congress members K.J. George, R. Roshan Baig and Abhaychandra Jain, besides Bandeppa Kashempur of the Janata Dal (Secular) were on their feet, for a wordy duel with ruling BJP members, including Minister for Water Resources Basavaraj Bommai, Forest Minister C.H. Vijayshankar and Housing Minister V. Somanna.

When the Speaker turned down the Opposition's demand for allowing an adjournment motion on the subject, Mr. Siddaramaiah along with the Congress legislators staged a walkout. The Janata Dal (Secular) members too followed suit.

Minister for Home, R. Ashok said the Government had received the B.K. Somasekhara Commission Report and the Home Department was studying its contents. It will thereafter be brought before the Cabinet for consideration.

Walkout in Council

In the Council also, the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) members staged a walkout expressing dissatisfaction over Mr. Yeddyurappa not committing himself to heed their demand for rejecting the Justice Somasekhara Inquiry Commission's reportand ordering a CBI probe into the issue.

They demanded that the government table the report in the House and take action against those responsible for giving the report to media even before it was tabled in the Legislature.

Leader of the Opposition Motamma sought to draw the attention of the House on the final report of the commission being at variance with its interim report. Though the Opposition members sought to move an adjournment motion on the issue, Council Chairman D.H. Shankaramurthy turned down their plea.