Sudhakar, Ramesh Kumar spar over disqualification in Assembly

K Sudhakar

The Assembly plunged into chaos after former speaker K R Ramesh Kumar used an expletive against Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar, during a heated discussion on Tuesday.

Sudhakar, while speaking during a special discussion on the Constitution, made critical remarks against the decision that Kumar, as speaker, had taken in disqualifying 17 MLAs under the anti-defection law, including Sudhakar.

Both Sudhakar and the Opposition Congress have decided to move a privilege motion. Sudhakar said his motion was against Kumar for using the expletive on the floor of the House. Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah said their motion was against Sudhakar’s “derogatory” remarks against Kumar and the chair of the Speaker.

During his speech, Sudhakar said he suffered “injustice” from the chair of the Speaker. “The Supreme Court, as recently as January, said that the Speaker’s scope of inquiry with respect to acceptance or rejection of a resignation tendered by a member is limited to examining whether such a resignation was tendered voluntarily or genuinely,” he said. “But the life and career of 17 people were put on stake. There was a political conspiracy and we had to face humiliation in front of the people of the state.”

This angered Kumar, who opposed discussing this. “Do you want to discuss an order passed by the Speaker that was debated in the SC? Do you approve of this? Do you want this,” Kumar asked Law Minister J C Madhuswamy.

There was din in the House with members from both sides engaging in a slug fest, amid which Kumar uttered the expletive. This worsened the situation, leading to the Assembly being adjourned for the day.

“Kumar must have been reminded of how he abused his position. Still, no one should use such words, especially in the Assembly and against a minister. I’m moving a privilege motion against him. We (BJP) want him suspended from the ongoing session,” Sudhakar told reporters.

According to Siddaramaiah, however, it was Sudhakar who breached Kumar’s privilege. “As the then speaker, Kumar disqualified 17 MLAs for defection. The SC upheld the decision. But Sudhakar not only dragged this into his speech, he made derogatory remarks against Kumar, which amounts to disrespecting the chair and the SC,” he said. “I sought permission to move the motion, which the BJP blocked. We will raise this in the Assembly again.”