Bengaluru: Eighteen BJP MLAs were suspended for six months from the Karnataka Legislative Assembly Friday for “disrespecting” Speaker UT Khader.
The suspension resolution, moved by the Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, was adopted by the Assembly.
The incident occurred on the last day of the Assembly’s Budget session, when BJP MLAs staged a massive protest.
The legislators climbed onto the podium where Speaker UT Khader’s chair is situated and threw papers at him.
The protest was sparked by opposition anger over the allocation of a four percent reservation to Muslims in public contracts.
Earlier, the BJP had protested from the well of the house, accusing the government of attempting to “honey trap” a minister and demanding a judicial probe into the matter, even as the Chief Minister addressed the budget discussion.
Among those suspended are BJP chief whip Doddanna Gouda Patil, CN Ashwath Narayan, BA Basavaraju, MR Patil, Sharanu Salagar, Yashpal Suvarna, BP Harish, Bharat Shetty, Muniratna and Basavaraj Mattimood.
While reading out the suspension order, Khader said, “The incident has hurt us a lot and it’s painful. This seat is not just a chair. This is the symbol of democracy, truth and justice. To speak from this chair is a matter of pride. Every member should protect the dignity and sanctity of this chair. None of us are above the chair. Our personal sentiments should not be above the dignity of this chair.
We should behave with commitment, calm and civilised way. Let this incident be a lesson for us. Let us in the coming days respect constitution and sanctity of this chair.”
After the suspension, the BJP MLAs refused to leave the House. Eventually, they were forcefully evicted by the marshals.
PTI
