Bengaluru: Karnataka Legislative Assembly witnessed a ruckus on Monday with the BJP alleging that the Congress was responsible for B R Ambedkar's defeat in the 1952 Lok Sabha polls, and Minister Priyank Kharge countering it by claiming that it was Hindutva idealogue V D Savarkar, who was responsible for it.

With Kharge throwing a challenge at the BJP stating that he can prove that Savarkar was responsible for Ambedkar's defeat, citing the Constitution's founding father's handwritten letter as evidence, BJP MLA Basangouda Patil Yatnal said he was accepting a challenge, and let there be a debate on the issue.

Following this, Speaker U T Khader said he is fixing Friday afternoon time for discussion on the subject.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, while replying to the debate on the motion of thanks to the Governor's address, pointed out that it was the Congress government in Karnataka that enacted a legislation regarding Scheduled Castes Sub Plan and Tribal Sub Plan in 2013, after neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, which was first state to do so, and said, "it was not BJP ruled states which did it...not central government."

At this point, Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Arvind Bellad asked, why did the Congress which has ruled both at the Centre and state for long did not do it earlier? "Were you (Congress) sleeping? We got freedom in 1947."

BJP MLA Vedavyas Kamath asked, "who defeated Ambedkar in the parliament polls?"

Responding to it, Priyank Kharge said, it was Savarkar who defeated Ambedkar. He was joined by several Congress legislators and ministers, including Byrathi Suresh, in alleging that it was Savarkar who was responsible for it.

Kharge said, "Ambedkar had written a letter, read it, he had mentioned Savarkar's name in it."

To this, BJP members countered by saying it was Congress which ensured Ambedkar's defeat.

Siddaramaiah responded to it by asking, "who made him (Ambedkar) the minister?"

Bellad and other BJP members retorted and said, "who campaigned against Ambedkar? Nehru did it. Who removed him from the cabinet? Who did not give a place for his burial site? Congress did not even give him Bharat Ratna."

Siddaramaiah countered this by asking why Jana Sangh did not support Ambedkar? Following which argument broke out between the treasury and opposition benches.

Kharge said in 1952 Ambedkar had written a letter to his friend. It is a handwritten note. In that he clearly says that Savarkar was responsible for his defeat.

"Will you resign if I show the letter? I will show the letter in five minutes, will you resign? I challenge you. Savarkar was responsible for Ambedkar's defeat. Accept the challenge," he said.

With BJP members objecting to it, a heated exchange broke out between both sides, resulting in chaos. Saffron party MLAs, including Bellad said Ambedkar himself had called Congress a "disease". They said Congress and Nehru were behind Ambedkar's defeat.

BJP MLA Basangouda Patil Yatnal intervened and said he was ready to accept the challenge and time should be given to discuss the matter.

"We are ready....we will prove that Congress insulted Ambedkar, let Priyank Kharge come for discussion, he should nor run away. Congress has no morality to speak about Ambedkar," he said.

Following this, Speaker Khader said he would allocate time, but the House should be allowed to function. However, chaos continued with heated exchanges between the Congress and BJP members.

The Speaker then said, challenge was thrown by Kharge and it has been accepted by Yatnal. Time will be given to both of them. "I will fix time on Friday afternoon, everyone should be present here."

As Kharge tried to read out some content of the letter purportedly written by Ambedkar in 1952 in the House, there was chaos, with the BJP members strongly objecting to it, and shouting slogans against Congress, accusing it of defeating and insulting Ambedkar.

CM Siddaramaiah said let there be a debate on Friday afternoon.