Cong accuses Guv of ''disrespecting'' Constitution, national anthem; BJP seeks action against MLAs
Bengaluru (PTI): The opposition BJP on Friday demanded that Karnataka Legislative Assembly Speaker U T Khader take disciplinary action against Congress legislators who "disrespected" Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot inside the Assembly on January 22, during the joint sitting of the state legislature.
As the BJP demanded that a resolution be passed condemning the incident and apologising to the governor, the Congress government accused Gehlot of "violating the Constitution" by refusing to read the state-prepared address to the joint session of the legislature and confining his customary speech to just three lines.
It also accused the governor of "disrespecting the national anthem" by walking out of the House before it was played and demanded that he apologise to the people of the state and the Assembly.
As the governor proceeded toward the exit door after concluding his three-line address on Thursday, some ruling legislators, including MLC B K Hariprasad, objected and gheraoed him by shouting slogans. They were removed by the security staff.
The opposition BJP on Friday demanded a speaker's ruling and action against the Congress legislators who "disrespected" the governor.
However, Khader said he needs time to consider all aspects and will give his ruling in the days ahead.
Raising the issue in the Assembly, Leader of Opposition R Ashoka said, "The governor was escorted into the Assembly respectfully, with sounds of the band by you (speaker), the CM, and others, but no one came to his support when he left."
"Videos are showing how Congress legislators treated the governor. What would have happened if someone had attacked him? The House comes under your jurisdiction; you have to give a ruling and take action," he added.
Pointing out that the governor was accused of "disrespecting" the national anthem by the ruling side as he exited the House before it was played, he asked, "Was the remote control to play the national anthem given to the governor? If the national anthem was not played, what is his fault?"
Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil, who is responsible for the smooth conduct of proceedings, accused the governor of "running away" from the House.
He also said that the governor did not read the full address to the joint sitting of the legislature.
Senior BJP MLA C N Ashwath Narayan, citing the rules of the Karnataka legislature, said that the speaker should take action in the very next sitting regarding any violation of order in the House during the Governor's address.
"So, the speaker should immediately take action against those Congress MLAs who gheraoed the governor and disrespected the House," he said.
Another BJP MLA, Sunil Kumar, questioned the speaker's inaction against ruling party MLAs.
He pointed out that Khader, during his first session after taking office in 2023, had suspended nine opposition MLAs for disrespecting the Chair, and 18 BJP MLAs were suspended in another session based on a motion moved by the government.
"As per the rules, Congress legislators, including the law minister, who disrespected the governor, should be suspended," he said.
Citing rules, Ashoka demanded that the speaker give a ruling immediately and announce action against those who disrespected the governor in the House.
"The whole House should condemn the incident yesterday, and the speaker should immediately give the ruling," he added.
Patil reiterated the allegation that the governor, who is bound by the Constitution, violated it by not reading the entire address prepared by the cabinet to the joint sitting of the legislature.
The issue of the governor not following the address prepared by the elected state government is a matter of discussion across the country, especially in South Indian states ruled by non-BJP governments.
Patil even claimed that governors in Raj Bhavans (Lok Bhavans) are receiving calls from the Centre.
"The governor's address is a statement outlining the government's policies; it is not written to please the governor," he said.
He added that he "stands by the statement he made in the Assembly on the fact that the governor ran away without completing his address."
Patil also accused the governor of "disrespecting the national anthem and walking away" without waiting for it to be played after finishing his three-line address to the joint session.
"This is against the Constitution; he should apologise to the people of Karnataka and the House," he said.
However, former Law Minister Suresh Kumar said that the government had made an address to the legislature as mandated by the Constitution, but it is left to the governor's discretion what and how much he reads from it, as per Article 163(2) of the Constitution.
"Also, if the governor is made to speak against a law passed by Parliament and approved by the President, who is his appointing authority, how can he do it," the BJP MLA asked.
Ashoka pointed out that earlier too, Governors Hansraj Bhardwaj in 2010 and Khurshed Alam Khan in 1998 had confined their addresses to the legislature in just a few lines.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah intervened and said, "The governor is the head of the state, custodian of the Constitution. The governor has disrespected the national anthem by not waiting for it. You (BJP) should not defend him."
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Trouble ‘Miyas’ everywhere only then they will leave Assam: Himanta Biswa Sarma
Says “Himanta Biswa Sarma, BJP are openly against them, we are saying it openly
New Delhi: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said that four to five lakh “Miya voters” would be removed from the electoral rolls in the state once the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists is carried out. He also made a series of controversial remarks openly targeting the Miya community, a term commonly used in Assam in a derogatory sense to refer to Bengali-speaking Muslims.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an official programme in Digboi in Tinsukia district, Sarma said it was his responsibility to create difficulties for the Miya community and claimed that both he and the BJP were “directly against Miyas”.
“Four to five lakh Miya votes will have to be deleted in Assam when the SIR happens,” Sarma said, adding that such voters “should ideally not be allowed to vote in Assam, but in Bangladesh”. He asserted that the government was ensuring that they would not be able to vote in the state.
The chief minister was responding to questions about notices issued to thousands of Bengali-speaking Muslims during the claims and objections phase of the ongoing Special Revision (SR) of electoral rolls in Assam. While the Election Commission is conducting SIR exercises in 12 states and Union Territories, Assam is currently undergoing an SR, which is usually meant for routine updates.
Calling the current SR “preliminary”, Sarma said that a full-fledged SIR in Assam would lead to large-scale deletion of Miya voters. He said he was unconcerned about criticism from opposition parties over the issue.
“Let the Congress abuse me as much as they want. My job is to make the Miya people suffer,” Sarma said. He claimed that complaints filed against members of the community were done on his instructions and that he had encouraged BJP workers to keep filing complaints.
“I have told people wherever possible they should fill Form 7 so that they have to run around a little and are troubled,” he said, adding that such actions were meant to send a message that “the Assamese people are still living”.
In remarks that drew further outrage, Sarma urged people to trouble members of the Miya community in everyday life, claiming that “only if they face troubles will they leave Assam”. He also accused the media of sympathising with the community and warned journalists against such coverage.
“So you all should also trouble, and you should not do news that sympathise with them. There will be love jihad in your own house.” He said.
The comments triggered reactions from opposition leaders. Raijor Dal president and MLA Akhil Gogoi said the people of Assam had not elected Sarma to keep one community under constant pressure. Congress leader Aman Wadud accused the chief minister of rendering the Constitution meaningless in the state, saying his remarks showed a complete disregard for constitutional values.
According to the draft electoral rolls published on December 27, Assam currently has 2.51 crore voters. Election officials said 4.78 lakh names were marked as deceased, 5.23 lakh as having shifted, and 53,619 duplicate entries were removed during the revision process. Authorities also claimed that verification had been completed for over 61 lakh households.
On January 25, six opposition parties the Congress, Raijor Dal, Assam Jatiya Parishad, CPI, CPI(M) and CPI(M-L) submitted a memorandum to the state’s chief electoral officer. They alleged widespread legal violations, political interference and selective targeting of genuine voters during the SR exercise, describing it as arbitrary, unlawful and unconstitutional.
