18 BJP MLAs suspended from Karnataka assembly for 6 months for ‘disrespecting’ Speaker

BENGALURU: Taking note of their unruly behavior on the floor of the Assembly on Friday, Speaker U.T. Khader placed as many as 18 MLAs, all belonging to the main opposition party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for a period of six months.

The MLAs placed under suspension include Doddanagouda H. Patil, Assembly Chief Whip Dr Ashwathnarayan, S.R. Vishwanath, B.A. Basavaraju, M.R. Patil, Channabasappa, B. Suresh Gowda, Umanath A. Kotian, Sharanu Salagar, Dr Shailendra Beldale, C.K. Ramamurthy, Yashpal Suvarna, B.P. Harish, Dr Bharath Shetty, Muniratna, Basavaraj Mathamood, Dheeraj Muniraju and Dr Chandru Lamani.

Khader found ‘indiscipline’ on part of the MLAs and bringing ‘disrepute’ to the Speaker’s chair. As per the suspension order against 18 MLAs, they cannot enter the floor of the Assembly, lobby or the gallery, suspended MLAs are barred from attending Standing Committee meetings of both Assembly/Council, barred from exercising their voting rights in Committee elections and cannot claim allowances during their suspension period.

Prior to their suspension, BJP MLAs created ruckus in the Assembly while pressing for a judicial or a probe by sleuths of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the alleged ‘honey trap’ attempt against Minister of Cooperation K.N. Rajanna. The issue of ‘honey trap’ attempts rocked the Assembly on Thursday.

Apart from staging a protest, BJP MLAs threw torn pieces of paper on the Speaker and his podium. Later, Marshalls swung into action and lifted the ‘unruly’ MLAs out of the Assembly.