The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday petitioned Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, seeking his intervention to revoke the six-month suspension of 18 of its MLAs from the Legislative Assembly.
A BJP delegation led by state party president B Y Vijayendra and Leader of Opposition R Ashoka met the Governor at Raj Bhavan and submitted a memorandum urging him to direct Assembly Speaker U T Khader to reconsider the suspension and allow the MLAs to resume their duties.
"We most respectfully beseech your excellency to kindly exercise your good offices to direct the Speaker, Karnataka Legislative Assembly to reconsider the suspension order imposed upon the 18 Members of the Legislative Assembly belonging to the principal opposition party in the state," the memorandum read.
In an unprecedented move, 18 BJP MLAs were suspended for six months from the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on March 21 after the BJP legislators were accused of “indiscipline” and “disrespecting” the Speaker during a protest in the Assembly. The MLAs, who had climbed onto the Speaker’s podium and hurled papers during the protest, were forcefully evicted by marshals after refusing to vacate the House.
The protest erupted on the last day of the budget session, with BJP members opposing the 4% reservation for Muslims in public contracts and demanding a judicial inquiry into the alleged "honey-trap" controversy involving Cooperation Minister K N Rajanna.
The memorandum defended the BJP MLAs’ actions, stating they had assembled near the Speaker’s Chair only as a form of protest. "It was wrongly perceived by the Speaker, so also the ruling party that, in doing such protests, they deem that we exhibited behaviour inconsistent with the decorum of the House," it said.
Under Rule 348 of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business, the 18 legislators were suspended and subjected to additional restrictions.
(With inputs from PTI)
