Former CM Bommai arrested after protesting MLA suspension outside legislature

CHENNAI: Former Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai was detained by the police for protesting against the suspension of ten BJP MLAs from the assembly on Wednesday.

Bommai was detained along with other leaders for protesting against the suspension of 10 party legislators outside the assembly.

Speaker UT Khader suspended ten Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators from the rest of the assembly session for “indecent and disrespectful conduct” in the House.

The ten members were suspended as they tore copies of bills and agenda and threw them at the Speaker’s Chair.

The suspended MLAs were protesting against the government for deputing  30 IAS officers for welcoming the leaders of opposition parties who had arrived in Bengaluru for the meeting of opposition parties.

Sunil Kumar, R Ashok, CN Ashwath Narayan, Yashpal Anand Suvarna, D Vedavyas Kamath, Arvind Bellad, Araga Jnanendra, Umanatha Kotian, Dheeraj Muniraju and Bharath Shetty Y, have been suspended for this session.

Rudrappa Lamani, who was occupying the Speaker’s Chair said, “I am naming them (the 10 MLAs) because of their indecent and disrespectful conduct,” following which Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil said the House responds to his “anguish”.

“I am presenting this proposal…I request you that on this day under section 348 of the Karnataka Assembly Rules of Procedure, these members should be suspended from the Karnataka Assembly till the rest of the session for their indecent and disrespectful conduct, and should be barred from entering the House,” Patil said.

Before adjourning the House for lunch, the Deputy Speaker also accused the BJP legislators of targettig him as he is from the Dalit community.