Sparks continued to fly on Thursday (June 11) as Leader of the Opposition R. Ashok and Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar locked horns over tenders for garbage disposal in Bengaluru.

Mr. Ashok hit back at Mr. Shivakumar for calling him “an agent of garbage mafia” and remarked, “Yes I am an agent, but not an agent of any mafia or commission like you. I am a janata (public) agent who is espousing the cause of seven-and-a-half crore Kannadigas and one-and-a-half crore Bengalureans.”

The BJP leader, who had come under criticism from the Chief Minister on Wednesday (June 10) after he had alleged that there were massive irregularities over garbage tenders, maintained, “It is my Constitutional right as Leader of the Opposition to question the looting by you. I need not take anybody’s permission to do so.”

Pointing out that a high level committee has been formed to look into the issues related to tendering norms, and the deadline for the committee to submit a report in this regard too had ended, he challenged the Chief Minister to make the report public.

Alleging that Mr. Shivakumar had managed to get the Chief Ministerial post by “pleading and crying in front of his party high command”, Mr. Ashok remarked that he was anxious that he was not even getting a honeymoon period from the Opposition.

Mr. Ashok remarked that the Chief Minister could never expect such a honeymoon period when his own party leaders, who were upset with him, were making repeated trips to Delhi to complain to the party high command. “It is your own party leaders who have snatched away the honeymoon period from you,” he told the Chief Minister.