Fist fights, slogans, abuses: Ruckus in Karnataka Legislative Council session

The Karnataka Legislative Council, which is considered as the House of Elders, witnessed a new low as its members pushed, pulled and abused each other on Tuesday.

It started when Deputy Chairman S L Dharmegowda of the JD(S) occupied the chair before Chairman K Pratapachandra Shetty (Congress) arrived. This angered the Congress as Dharmegowda would have allowed the no-confidence motion against Shetty to be taken up.

The BJP, with the help of the JD(S), wanted to dislodge Shetty through the no-trust motion.

Congress MLCs forced Dharmegowda out of the chair by pulling him, even as the BJP tried to stop this. In the melee, MLCs were seen fist-fighting and hurling abuses. Slogans were raised and papers were torn. The Council Marshalls could do little as MLCs were too enraged.

Having physically removed Dharmegowda from the chair, Congress’s Chandrashekhar Patil occupied it with the party’s MLCs standing guard. They wanted Shetty to occupy it, even as BJP MLCs protested.

Finally, Shetty managed to trudge past the pushing and shoving. “I am adjourning the session sine die,” he said and left.

Leader of Opposition S R Patil of the Congress said Dharmegowda occupying the chair was against the rules. “How can he take the chair without permission? Also, the chairperson had rejected the BJP’s no-confidence motion saying it was not in order,” he said.

RDPR Minister K S Eshwarappa said the Council had not seen such scenes in its 120-year history. “The entire country has seen how Congress has behaved,” he said.

“We wanted to move the motion. Dharmegowda had taken the chair, which meant that the JD(S) would have supported the motion,” Eshwarappa said.

Tuesday’s session was convened under the pressure of the state government. Shetty had similarly adjourned the session sine die on December 10, following which the BJP had petitioned the Governor.

“The Chairperson should have said he will allow for discussion on this. He has adjourned this earlier too. I condemn this behaviour. We will meet Governor seeking directions to convene the session again. Our fight will continue,” Revenue Minister R Ashoka said.