BJP, JD boycott Assembly proceedings protesting 10 MLAs suspension

After the Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly suspended 10 BJP members for the balance of the session for their indecent and disrespectful behaviour in the House, the opposition BJP and the JD(S) boycotted proceedings for the second day on Friday.

The legislature’s current session, which began on July 3, ends today.

In front of the Gandhi statue at Vidhana Soudha, BJP lawmakers staged a sit-in protest while yelling anti-government and anti-Speaker U T Khader chants.

On Thursday, a joint delegation from the BJP and JD(S) petitioned Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot with complaints about the functioning of the state’s Congress government, its suppressive and dictatorial attitude, and the Speaker’s behaviour.

Along with Deputy Speaker Rudrappa Lamani, the Speaker also met with the Governor and gave him a report on the Assembly’s Wednesday activities.

Angry BJP lawmakers tore up copies of bills and the agenda on Wednesday and flung them at Lamani, who was presidening. As a result, the Speaker Khader suspended 10 of the lawmakers for the remainder of the session.

For their indecent and disrespectful conduct in the House, ten BJP lawmakers have been suspended for the rest of the session: C N Ashwath Narayan, V Sunil Kumar, R Ashoka, Araga Jnanendra (all former ministers), D Vedavyasa Kamath, Yashpal Suvarna, Dheeraj Muniraj, A Umanath Kotian, Arvind Bellad, and Y Bharath Shetty.

After the House passed a motion to that effect on Wednesday, they were put on hold.

The Assembly Secretary was then notified of a vote of no-confidence against the Speaker by MLAS from the opposing BJP and JD(S).The unexpected turn of events occurred as members of the opposition BJP and JD(S) protested from the House well, accusing the Congress administration of sending 30 IAS officers to “serve” its alliance leaders who had gathered there on Monday and Tuesday to plan the 2024 Lok Sabha election.