Congress legislator B K Sangamesh has been suspended from the Karnataka Legislative Assembly for one week after he removed his shirt in protest during the session on Thursday.
Sangamesh, who represents Bhadravathi, will not be allowed to attend the Assembly till March 12.
This happened when Congress MLAs were staging a protest in the well of the House against Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri’s decision to hold a special discussion on ‘One Nation, One Election’.
Sangamesh removed his shirt while he was in the well of the House, angering the Speaker. “What is this? Are you on the streets? Get proper or I’ll have you thrown out. What you’re doing is an insult to the people of Bhadravathi who have elected you,” Kageri screamed.
Congress’ DK Shivakumar and JN Ganesh rushed towards Sangamesh and made him put his shirt back on.
Law Minister Basavaraj Bommai then moved a motion to suspend Sangamesh till March 12 for “indecent and disrespectful behaviour.” The motion was passed on a voice vote.
Speaking to reporters, Sangamesh said he wanted to draw the Speaker’s attention to how the BJP was allegedly targeting him and his family with false cases. “The BJP has been losing election after election in Bhadravathi. They’ve not been able to win even local body elections. So, they’re attempting to divide people on communal lines just like what they did in the coastal region. My family and I are being targeted with false cases of attempt to murder and committing atrocities,” he said.
(Published 04 March 2021, 09:26 IST)
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