The Karnataka assembly has been adjourned till March 4 after the Congress continued its day-and-night dharna inside the house, demanding the resignation of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister K.S. Eshwarappa over his flag remarks.
Assembly speaker Vishweshwara Hegde Kageri adjourned the lower house stating the house was not in order due to the ongoing agitation by Congress members. The 10-day legislature session which was to end on February 25 has been abruptly ended as the house has not transacted business for the last five days. The Congress MLCs had spent the five days shouting slogans in the well of the house.
“Despite my best efforts to end the deadlock by holding five-six meetings with the floor leaders and leader of the opposition, the Congress has not yielded to my request to give up the dharna and help in restoring order in the house. Even the JDS was keen to participate in the session. However, I am now compelled to adjourn the house till March 4 as the house is not in order,” said Kageri.
Earlier Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai expressed disappointment over the Congress's insistence to continue with the dharna. “The Congress wants to continue with the protest only for political gains. It is unfortunate,” said Bommai.
Meanwhile, the man in the eye of a storm—Eshwarappa, who on February 9 said that a saffron flag might be hoisted atop the Red Fort someday—has been summoned by Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot to Raj Bhavan.
The Congress party planned to stage a padayatra from Vidhana Soudha to Raj Bhavan in the evening to submit a memorandum to the governor reiterating their demand for Eshwarappa's resignation. The party has convened a CLP meeting to decide the future course of action.
BJP national president J.P. Nadda, while speaking to a TV channel, dubbed Eshwarappa's statement as "wrong" and "irresponsible".
“This statement should not have been made. I have reprimanded the minister. I have not hesitated to tell him it was wrong. We are people who follow the law and go by the Constitution. We believe it is our responsibility to protect the Constitution,” said Nadda.
Further, Nadda added, “We (the BJP) are nationalist people. We will not tolerate wrong and irresponsible statements from our members. I must admit some people get overenthusiastic and they immediately know they will get a phone call from us. When the minister tried to narrate what had happened, I sternly said nothing doing. Of course, he is our senior member. I told him that his statement was not right,” said Nadda.
