AC criticizes actor-turned-politician M H Ambareesh for not attending House sessions for a year

Heated discussions in the Assembly hall are apparently giving a chill to actor-turned-politician M H Ambareesh. The Mandya MLA and former Housing minister, who was dropped from the Siddaramaiah cabinet in June 2016, has not been attending legislature sessions for the past one year. Reason? He cannot sit in the air-conditioned hall.

Taking note of this, Assembly Speaker K B Koliwad wrote to the MLA a few weeks ago seeking an explanation. Ambareesh, who replied to Koliwad last week, cited the air-conditioning in the Assembly and Council halls as the reason for his absence.

“My health does not permit me to sit for long hours during the sessions due to the air-conditioning,’’ he wrote. Koliwad acknowledged that Ambareesh had not been attending sessions. “As Speaker, I can seek an explanation for his absence. Ambareesh has replied, citing health grounds for his absence,’’ he said.

 “Ambareesh was removed because he was irregular at party and cabinet meetings and also in the Assembly. He was not just an MLA, he was holding a ministry. He was also not visiting Mandya regularly, which he represents, and had poor health,’’ a senior Congress leader said.

“The Speaker/Chairman places the letter before the House and it is read out. If the House agrees, the legislator is granted leave. However, there is no provision to disqualify the member if he/she takes leave without seeking permission,’’ the MLC noted.

Former Law minister M C Nanaiah said there is no provision to disqualify a member for prolonged absence. “This is because the rules we follow is a copy of Parliamentary rules.

The Parliamentary rules were taken from the British. In the British Parliament, there is no provision to disqualify a member for long absence, so also in the Indian Parliament and our legislature,’’ he said.