BJP, JD(S) protest alleged insult to Karnataka Governor
Opposition BJP and JD(S) staged a protest in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue at Vidhana Soudha on Tuesday, demanding the suspension of some Congress legislators for allegedly “insulting and disrespecting” Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot during the joint sitting of the State legislature.
Raising anti-Congress Government slogans, the protesters demanded justice. They also demanded the removal of Excise Minister RB Timmapur over the alleged Excise Department scam, law and order failures and inadequate security for women in the state. Leaders of the Opposition, both in the Assembly and Council — R Ashoka and Chalavadi Narayana Swamy, State BJP chief BY Vijayendra, BJP MLC CT Ravi, JD(S) leaders Suresh Babu and SL Bhojegowda, along with MLAs and MLCs of both parties, were part of the protest. Speaking to the media here, BJP State President Vijayendra demanded that a thorough investigation must be conducted into the excise scam involving more than Rs 6,000 crore. The probe should be carried out either by a sitting High Court judge or by the CBI, he added.
Vijayendra alleged that the entire country has witnessed Congress “goons” behaving in a hooligan-like manner towards the Governor inside the House. Condemning the insult and alleged misconduct shown towards the Governor during the joint session, he said, “The (Congress) government is now trying to justify those actions.”
In the Karnataka Assembly, the Governor on January 22 refused to read the State-prepared address to a joint session of the State legislature and concluded his customary speech in three lines, evoking a sharp reaction from the Congress Government in the state.
As the Governor proceeded towards the exit door after concluding his three-line speech, some ruling party legislators, including MLC Hariprasad, tried to gherao him by shouting slogans. They were removed by the security staff.
