Karnataka Assembly Speaker U T Khader suspended 18 MLAs from the Opposition BJP for ‘disrespecting the Chair’, after they staged a protest over alleged attempts of honey-trapping of legislators.
The BJP MLAs had staged a protest by storming the well of the house, and attempted to climb the Speaker’s podium. The protests intensified after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s response to the Karnataka Budget, which the BJP had termed as ‘Halal Budget’, citing the allocations made towards the welfare of the Muslim community.
The suspended MLAs include Dr C N Ashwath Narayan, B Suresh Gowda, Umanath Kotyan, C K Ramamurthy, Dheeraj , Muniraju, Muniratna, S R Vishwanath, Doddanagowda Patil, Dr Bharath Shetty, Dr Chandru Lamani, Basavaraj Mattimudu, Shailendra and Yashpal Suvarna, among others.
The motion to suspend the MLAs was moved as per rule 388 of Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly. The section deals with suspension of members who disregard the authority of the Chair or disobey the rules of the House by persistently and willfully obstructing proceedings.
Karnataka Cooperation Minister K N Rajanna had on Thursday claimed that 48 MLAs of the state had been honey-trapped and had said there was an attempt to trap him as well.
The issue of honey trapping of legislators was raised by BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, who said there were rumours of many Congress ministers being targeted by organised gangs. Following Yatnal’s statement, Rajanna told the Assembly that he too had been the target of a recent attempt at honey-trapping.
The Karnataka government has ordered a high-level probe into the incidents, Home Minister G Parameshwara announced in the Assembly.
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Siddaramaiah, too, assured the legislators that the allegations would be investigated. The claims come close on the heels of the Karnataka Police arresting two women, aged 23 and 27, on charges of honey trapping a BJP leader in the Tumakuru district.
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