Speaker U.T. Khader adjourns Assembly over ministers’ failure to answer MLAs’ questions

Bengaluru : Proceedings of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly witnessed dramatic scenes on Monday after Speaker U. T. Khader adjourned the House abruptly, expressing strong displeasure over ministers failing to provide satisfactory answers to questions raised by legislators.

The Speaker, visibly upset with the lack of responses from ministers, announced that the House would not continue until the concerned ministers explained why they had failed to respond adequately. Following his remarks, Khader adjourned the proceedings without specifying a time for reconvening and walked out of the Chair.

The tense situation unfolded during the question hour when ministers were presenting replies to written questions submitted by MLAs. According to Assembly records, out of the 230 written questions listed for response, only 84 questions were addressed during the session, leading to frustration among legislators across the House.

The issue escalated when Home Minister G. Parameshwara was presenting answers on behalf of the government. Opposition members began raising objections, alleging that the ministers were failing to provide clear and meaningful responses to the questions raised by elected representatives.

Members from the opposition benches accused the government of ignoring legislative procedures and not respecting the importance of the Assembly. The disruptions intensified as opposition legislators demanded accountability from the ministers concerned.

Speaker Khader strongly criticized the ministers’ approach, stating that every MLA has the right to ask questions and receive proper replies. He pointed out that not all questions raised in the Assembly are starred questions and that ministers cannot avoid responding to other forms of queries such as calling attention notices.

“I have already warned the ministers three times about this issue. However, there has been no improvement. The concerned ministers must come to the House and explain why answers are not being provided. Until then, I will not conduct the proceedings,” Khader said firmly before leaving the Chair.

Opposition leaders described the development as unprecedented and indicative of the government’s poor management of Assembly business. They argued that ministers were frequently absent from the House and were failing to take legislative responsibilities seriously.

The sudden adjournment created confusion in the Assembly as members from both the treasury and opposition benches gathered to discuss the situation. Several legislators expressed concern that such disruptions were affecting the functioning of the House and delaying important discussions.

Political observers noted that the Speaker’s decision to halt proceedings reflected growing frustration over the government’s handling of question hour, which is considered one of the most important mechanisms for ensuring accountability in a parliamentary democracy.

The development has now put pressure on the government to address the Speaker’s concerns and ensure that ministers provide timely and clear responses to questions raised by legislators in future sessions.