Cong leaders in day-and-night dharna

Bengaluru: Congress legislators will spend the night inside the Karnataka Legislative Assembly and Council on Thursday, demanding the sacking of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister K.S. Eshwarappa and his booking for sedition with regard to his statement that the saffron flag would replace the national flag in some time.

This came on a day when protests by Congress legislators rocked the proceedings in both Houses. Congress members stayed back in the assembly, even after it was adjourned for the day. Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, and former CM B.S. Yediyurappa later met Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah and held talks. Earlier, addressing reporters, Siddaramaiah, accused the BJP of disrespecting the national flag and said the Congress has decided to stage ‘day-and-night’ protests, to take the issue to a “logical end”.

Meanwhile, Eshwarappa said there is no question of him resigning for any reason, and he is a patriot who had gone to jail during the Emergency period. “Let them protest, I won’t budge,” he said, and demanded that state Congress chief D.K. Shivakumar resign, accusing him and his party of ‘misusing’ the national flag for protests. Terming the stand taken by Congress leaders as anti-people,

Chief Minister Bommai said, earlier too, overnight protests have taken place but they were on issues concerning people and farmers. At a time when people and the government are working towards creating a conducive atmosphere for students in schools and colleges, the Congress is trying to play politics, he added.