18 BJP MLAs Suspended from Karnataka Assembly for Disrupting Proceedings

In a major development, 18 BJP MLAs have been suspended from the Karnataka Legislative Assembly for six months for “disrespecting” the Chair and disrupting Assembly proceedings, as reported by news agency PTI.

The suspension followed chaotic scenes in the Assembly, where the legislators created a disturbance during the session, prompting a strong response from the Speaker.

Reason Behind the Suspension

The suspension was triggered by a protest staged by BJP MLAs during the passage of the state budget.

The protesting members stormed the Well of the House, tore papers, and caused significant disruption. The Speaker was forced to call in marshals to restore order and remove the protesting legislators from the House.

The opposition, led by BJP leader R Ashoka, was protesting against the Congress government’s decision to grant a four per cent reservation for Muslims in public contracts.

Despite the disruption, the budget was passed along with bills to increase the salaries, pensions, and allowances of MLAs, ministers, and the Chief Minister.

Names of Suspended Legislators

The 18 suspended BJP MLAs include senior leaders such as Doddanagouda H Patil, Ashwath Narayan CN, SR Vishwanath, BA Basavaraj, MR Patil, Channabasappa (Channi), B Suresh Gowda, Umanath A Kotyan, Sharanu Salagar, Shailendra Beldale, CK Ramamurthy, Yashpal A Suvarna, BP Harish, Bharath Shetty Y, Munirathna, Basavaraj Mattimood, Dheeraj Muniraju, and Chandru Lamani.

Speaker’s Justification for Suspension

Speaker UT Khader justified the suspension by citing the members’ indiscipline and disregard for Assembly rules.

The MLAs were accused of climbing the Speaker’s dais, hurling papers, and causing a ruckus in the Well of the House. The Speaker stated that such behavior was unacceptable and warranted strict action.

The suspension order bars the legislators from entering the Assembly hall, lobby, and galleries. They are also prohibited from attending meetings of standing committees and from having any matter listed under their names in the Assembly agenda during the suspension period.

Any directives issued by the suspended members during this time will not be acknowledged, and they will not be allowed to vote in committee elections. Additionally, they will not receive any daily allowances throughout the suspension period.

Controversy Over Honey-Trap Scandal

Apart from the reservation issue, the Assembly was also rocked by allegations of a honey-trap scandal.

The controversy began when Cooperation Minister KN Rajanna claimed that at least 48 politicians, including key figures from various parties, had been targeted in an elaborate honey-trap scheme.

In response to these allegations, BJP legislators stormed the Well of the House, holding CDs they claimed contained evidence of blackmail and coercion. They demanded a judicial probe into the allegations by a sitting High Court judge.

BJP MLA Sunil Kumar raised the issue during the session, seeking a response from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah before the budget debate concluded.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah assured the opposition that no one involved in the scandal would be shielded. He confirmed that a high-level investigation would be initiated once a formal complaint was filed.

“Rajanna has spoken about an attempt to honey-trap him. Home Minister G Parameshwara has already responded, stating that a high-level investigation will be conducted. Let Rajanna file a complaint. All Congress, BJP, and JD(S) members will be provided protection. Those who have violated the law must be punished accordingly,” Siddaramaiah stated.

Reaction from Political Leaders

Karnataka Minister MB Patil defended the suspension, stating, “Totally unbecoming of Members to behave like that… They did all possible violations in the Assembly… This (suspension) is 100% justified.”

Former Karnataka Chief Minister and BJP MP Basavaraj Bommai also weighed in, calling for a thorough investigation into the honey-trap allegations.

“Each and every case should be inquired thoroughly, and whoever is behind this should be booked and put behind bars, and once and for all, the whole thing should be cleansed,” Bommai told reporters.

BJP Karnataka President BY Vijayendra demanded that the case be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or a sitting High Court judge for an impartial investigation.

Protest Over Reservation for Muslims

The BJP’s protest against the four per cent reservation for Muslims in public contracts was another major issue that contributed to the disruption.

The proposed amendment to the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements (KTPP) Act reserves four per cent of civil works contracts up to ₹2 crore and goods/services contracts up to ₹1 crore for individuals belonging to Category 2B (Muslims).

BJP leaders have opposed the amendment, calling it unconstitutional and threatening to challenge it legally. The opposition argued that the reservation policy amounts to religious favoritism and violates constitutional principles of equality.