Several Congress MLAs in Karnataka spent their night at the Vidhana Soudha or the Legislative Assembly on Thursday, February 17 in protest, demanding the removal or resignation of Panchayat Raj Minister KS Eshwarappa over his remark on the national flag. The Congress had also demanded that Eshwarappa be booked under sedition charges.
The Congress claimed that around 25 legislators from their party spent the night at VIdhana Soudha including Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President DK Shivakumar. On Wednesday, Congress members stayed back in the Assembly, even after it was adjourned for the day.
Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, and former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa later met Leader of Opposition and Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah in the Assembly premises and held talks. Earlier, addressing reporters outside the assembly, Siddaramaiah, accusing the BJP of disrespecting the national flag, said the Congress had decided to stage 'day-and-night' protests, to take the issue to a "logical end".
Noting that the Governor, who is the constitutional head, should have intervened and given instructions for Eshwarappa's dismissal as his comments amount to treason, he said, "The Chief Minister is also not taking action against Eshwarappa. The RSS is implementing its hidden agenda through Eshwarappa."
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. "Let them protest, I won't budge," he said, and demanded that state Congress chief DK Shivakumar resign, accusing him and his party of 'misusing' the national flag for protests.
Recently, Eshwarappa had claimed 'Bhagwa dhwaj' (saffron flag) may become the national flag some time in the future and the same may be hoisted on the Red Fort then. He however had said the tricolour is the national flag now, and it should be respected by everyone.
"There is nothing wrong in Eshwarappa's statement, there is nothing in his statement that is against law. As they (Congress) don't have any other issues they are doing this," Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said.
The Chair in the Assembly on Wednesday had rejected the Congress' adjournment motion demanding the dismissal of Eshwarappa. The Speaker also held meetings of floor leaders to end the stalemate, but the talks were unsuccessful.
It was in 2019, when legislators had stayed put in the Assembly overnight the last time. At the time, it was the BJP MLAs who were protesting against the delay in then Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy taking a trust vote on the floor of the House.
In 2010, Congress legislators had staged a similar protest against the then BJP government on the illegal mining issue. It was in 1996, when the first such overnight protest is said to have taken place in the Assembly. It was by BJP against the JH Patel government over power tariff hike.
Earlier, as soon as the Assembly met for the day on Thursday, Congress members trooped into the well of the House to mark their protest. After the House paid tributes to former MLA Mallur Ananda Rao, who died on February 14, Speaker Kageri took up the Question Hour, and Congress members began shouting slogans demanding action against Eshwarappa, calling him "Desha Drohi" (traitor).
The Question Hour took place amid sloganeering from Congress members, who did not participate in it, despite repeated requests from the chair. After the Question Hour, the Speaker asked Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah to speak on the Motion of Thanks to the Governor's address, but he did not speak and continued to protest from the well along with Congress legislators. As the chaos continued, the Speaker adjourned the House till 3 pm.
As Congress members continued their protest from the well of the Assembly, shouting slogans demanding Eshwarappa's resignation when it met post-lunch, Speaker Kageri adjourned the House for Friday.