The Karnataka Congress said they would spend the night in the assembly.
Bangalore:
Congress MLAs have said they will spend the night inside the Karnataka Assembly on Thursday, demanding the sacking of minister KS Eshwarappa and the registration of a sedition case against him for his highly controversial remarks about replacing the national flag with saffron.
Congress members remained in the house even after it was adjourned for the day following protests by opposition party legislators, stalling the proceedings of both the houses for the second consecutive day.
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri and former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa later met and held talks with Leader of Opposition and Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah in the assembly premises but to no avail.
“We tried to convince the leaders of the opposition party for about two hours. We told them not to sleep here in the Assembly. But he has already decided. The president also tried to explain. We tried our best but they did not listen. we will do. Try to convince them tomorrow also,” Mr Yediyurappa said.
Later, Karnataka Congress leaders, including state unit chief DK Shivakumar, were seen having dinner at the assembly canteen.
Earlier, addressing journalists outside the assembly, Siddaramaiah accused the BJP and its ideological guardian Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) of disrespecting the national flag and said the Congress worked “day and night” to raise the issue. decided to protest. For a “logical end”.
Noting that the Governor, who is the constitutional head, should have intervened and directed for the dismissal of Mr. Eshwarappa, as his remarks amounted to sedition, he said: “The Chief Minister is also not taking action against Eshwarappa. , RSS is implementing its hidden agenda through Eshwarappa.”
Meanwhile, a defiant Mr. Eshwarappa said there was no question of him resigning for any reason, and that he was a patriot who went to jail during the Emergency.
“Let them protest, I will not budge,” he said, demanding his resignation while accusing state Congress chief DK Shivakumar and his party of ‘misusing’ the national flag to stage protests.
Controversy erupted after Mr Eshwarappa last week said that ‘Bhagwa Dhwaja’ (saffron flag) could become the national flag in future and could be raised from the Red Fort.
However, he had said that the tricolor is now the national flag, and it should be respected by all.
Supporting the controversial remark, Chief Minister Bommai said, “Earlier the protests in the assembly overnight were for issues related to the interests of the people, farmers and the state, but it is a protest based on misinterpretation of a statement.”
“There is nothing wrong with Eshwarappa’s statement, there is nothing in his statement which is against the law. Since they (Congress) have no other issue, they are doing it. For the first time without any reason. Protests are being held overnight, it is not a sign of a responsible opposition. They think it will give them political mileage, but they are wrong.”
The Speaker in the Assembly had on Wednesday rejected the adjournment motion of the Congress seeking to drop the sedition case against Mr. Eshwarappa.
The Speaker has also held meetings of floor leaders to end the impasse, but they were unsuccessful.
The last time there was an overnight protest in the Karnataka Assembly was in July 2019, when the then Leader of Opposition Mr Yediyurappa along with BJP MLAs spent a night trying to drag the Janata Dal Secular-Congress coalition government to its feet on a trust vote.
,