Quit KSE! Cong to continue House dharna

Shyam Sundar Vattam | NT

Opposition Congress MLAs have decided to stage an overnight dharna in the Assembly Hall from Friday till Feb 21 to pressurise Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to sack Rural Development & Panchayat Raj Minister K.S. Eshwarappa for his reported statement that the saffron flag should be hoisted atop Red Fort in Delhi.

Congress Chief Whip Dr AjaySingh has asked all Congress members to put aside their programmes and stay back in the Assembly Hall to continue the dharna demanding removal of Eshwarappa from the ministry as well as the slapping of a sedition case against him for insulting the national flag.

Meanwhile, KPCC President D.K. Shivakumar asked party leaders in all districts to hold protest rallies on February 21 carrying the national flag. They have been asked to submit a memorandum to revenue officials seeking the booking of a sedition case against Eshwarappa.

Congress dharna halts House proceedings
The entire day’s proceedings in both the Legislative Assembly and Council were suspended on Friday with Congress members continuing their overnight dharna demanding the resignation of Rural Development & Panchayat Raj Minister K.S.Eshwarappa for his controversial statement on hoisting the saffron flag atop Red Fort in Delhi.

The agitating Congress members did not allow the presiding officers of both Houses to take up other business by shouting slogans against Eshwarappa. They wanted Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to sack him immediately for allegedly insulting the Tricolor.

In the Assembly, Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah demanded that the CM dismiss Eshwarappa and added that till then they would continue to boycott the House. Congress members came to the well of the House and raised anti-Eshwarappa and anti-BJP slogans. Despite the appeal made by Speaker Vishveshwar Hegde Kageri and the CM to take up issues concerning farmers, workers and citizens, defiant Congress members raised slogans and prevented the usual business.

Bommai said that if Congress members failed to raise people’s issues in the House, the electorate would teach them a lesson in the coming elections. People have already rejected the Congress across the country and a similar fate awaits them in Karnataka for their anti-child, anti-people and anti-farmers’ stand.

The controversy on hoisting the saffron flag was created by the Congress Party to prevent the government from discussing people’s issues, the CM asserted. Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister J.C.Madhuswamy slammed the Congress for continuing the dharna for the second day even after the Speaker dismissed the adjournment motion moved by the opposition.

People were watching the House proceedings daily and they would teach a lesson to the Congress Party in the coming days, he said. When Congress members refused to call off their dharna, the Speaker adjourned the House to February 21.

In the Council, Congress members trooped into the well after the obituary references. Opposition Leader B.K.Hariprasad claimed a threat to his life saying the ruling BJP had asked its lawmakers to take action against him. The agitating Congress members carried pictures of Eshwarappa and demanded booking of a criminal case against him.