Bengaluru : Questioning the style of governance in Karnataka, Opposition parties, the BJP and the JD(S), Wednesday slammed Legislative Assembly Speaker UT Khader’s decision to suspend 10 BJP MLAs and accused the Congress government of suppressing the Opposition for highlighting the mistakes of the government.

MLAs were protesting at the well of the House against the state government for allegedly violating norms and deputing IAS officers to welcome leaders from various parties for the recently held meeting of Opposition parties in Bengaluru.

Former CM and JDS leader HD Kumaraswamy condemned the suspension of ten MLAs of the Bharatiya Janata Party from the Assembly and said that the Congress has murdered democracy.

While the BJP leader and former CM Bommai termed the suspension "illegal" and "murder of democracy". He alleged that the Siddaramaiah government has adopted a "dictatorial" attitude and is trying to stifle the voice of the opposition.

It is pertinent to mention that Congress did not invite Kumaraswamy for the Opposition unity meet which was held in Bengaluru where the grand old party announced the name of the alliance of 26 parties as INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha polls against the BJP.

Speaking to reporters, Kumaraswamy said, “The Congress party doesn’t have any respect for the Constitution. Just a day after announcing INDIA, what they have done today in the Assembly is nothing but a murder of democracy. When the atrocities are questioned, the government must give an answer but instead, it suppresses the voice by suspending the MLAs.”

Kumaraswamy said that the state government has indulged in a heinous act of suppressing the opposition questioning whether ‘is this the Karnataka model’.

“@INCKrnataka govt has indulged in a heinous act of suppressing the Opposition which questioned deploying IAS officers for protocol duties to receive its ineligible India alliance leaders who had come to attend the meeting at a five-star hotel in Bengaluru.  For questioning this unconstitutional act, the government suspended Opposition party leaders. It is the murder of democracy.

Congress while paying lip service to protect democracy is in fact slitting and killing it. Is this the Karnataka model???”, Kumaraswamy shared in a tweet.

He further said that the Congress government’s uncivilised behaviour has made even the term uncivilised to hang its head in shame.

“A day after it chanted 'India' in Bengaluru, @INCIndia has shown scant regard to its utopian idea of India.  With no belief in democracy, the Congress has treated Constitutional values like garbage. It is the duty of the civil govt to patiently hear the views of the Opposition & respond to the questions raised by them. But the Congress govt’s uncivilised behaviour has made even the term uncivilised to hang its head in shame”, he added.

Meanwhile, Former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said that it shows the dictatorship of the Congress government adding that the suspension was for no reason.

"This is the black day for Democracy. There was a murder of democracy today. They (10 BJP MLAs) have been suspended for their small agitation. We will fight for the right of the suspended MLAs", Bommai told reporters.

The former CM along with other leaders staged a protest outside the Assembly against the speaker's action against the 10 BJP MLAs.He further said that the party has issued a no-confidence motion against Speaker UT Khader.

"This shows the dictatorship of the Congress government they have suspended 10 of our MLAs for no reason. We have issued a no-confidence motion against the speaker. We will take this fight to the people", he added.

However, Siddaramaiah clarified that the government did not use IAS officers politically but followed the state's tradition after BJP lawmakers raised the issue during the Assembly session on Wednesday.

CM Siddaramaiah said that they considered the leaders who came to attend the Opposition Meeting in Bengaluru as State guests adding that it is the tradition followed in the State.

The chief minister further said that BJP and JDS are frustrated as they see people happy over the implementation of guarantee schemes.

"Opposition parties are behaving like this out of frustration. They staged a dharna in the well of the house for trivial issues sacrificing matters of public interest. Three weeks legislature session was called to discuss various problems and the State budget elaborately", he added.

He further took a dig at former CM and JDS leader HD Kumaraswamy and said that earlier in 2018, Kumaraswamy invited leaders of various parties in the state and then IAS officers were deputed for liaison.

"Chief Ministers and former Chief Ministers of various States, central ministers, and MPs have visited the State. Earlier Kumaraswamy had invited leaders of various parties on May 21, 2018, and IAS officers were deputed for liaison. Danish Ali was neither an MP nor an MLA, not even a ZP member. YS Patil, an IAS officer was deputed as liaison officer. And he claims in the house that he hasn’t done anything", the CM said.

Responding to the protests against the suspension of MLAs, CM Siddaramaiah said, "Is it appropriate to tear and throw papers on the Speaker’s face? How can he be a puppet? Is he termed the ruling party's puppet, just because he didn’t listen to them? I have been part of the Assembly for the last 40 years. I have never spoken ill against the speaker or disrespected him. Isn’t this uncivilised to tear papers and throw them on the Deputy speaker’s face, behaving like goons? Is there room for such acts in democracy and Parliamentary system?"

The CM added that instead of resorting to act like goons people's problems have to be discussed and sought solutions in the Assembly.

"Peaceful protest is allowed, but breaking glass and such things cannot be encouraged", he said.

CM Siddaramaiah also met BJP MLA Basanagouda R Patil (Yatnal) at the hospital where he is undergoing treatment after collapsing at Vidhana Soudha earlier today.

Karnataka Assembly Speaker UT Khader on Wednesday suspended 10 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs after the Assembly on Wednesday plunged into chaos with unruly scenes following angry BJP lawmakers tore copies of bills and threw them at Deputy Speaker Rudrappa Lamani’s face.

BJP MLAs Ashwathnarayan, Sunil Kumar, R Ashok, Vedavya Kamath, Yashpal Suvarna, Dheeraj Muniraj, Umanath Kotian, Aravind Bellad, Araga Jnanendra and Bharath Shetty are among those suspended from attending session till Friday for allegedly misbehaving in the House.

The BJP MLAs have been suspended for disrupting the proceedings of the Assembly session. The MLAs created a ruckus over the Congress-led state government’s decision to depute IAS officers for Opposition Meeting held in Bengaluru on July 17 and 18.
However, the BJP and JDS have given notice to move a no-confidence motion against the Speaker.

BJP MLAs even threw papers on Deputy Speaker Rudrappa Lamani for allowing budget discussion when the House was not in order.