BJP condemns suspension of 18 MLAs from Karnataka Assembly for six months

Bengaluru, Mar 21 (PTI) The BJP on Friday condemned the suspension of 18 MLAs from the Karnataka Assembly for six months and called it undemocratic.

The party said the decision to suspend its MLAs was a grave injustice.

The suspension resolution, moved by state Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil, was adopted by the Assembly.

"The suspension of 18 MLAs was undemocratic. I am saying this because a senior minister in the Congress government himself said in the Assembly that attempts were made for honey trap 48 MLAs in the state," BJP state president B Y Vijayendra told reporters outside the Assembly.

On the last day of the Karnataka Legislative’s budget session, the BJP legislators were suspended for staging protests and climbing on the podium where Speaker U T Khader was in the seat and throwing papers on him.

The opposition MLAs were agitated with the four per cent reservation to Muslims in public contracts and the alleged attempt to 'honey trap' a minister.

Vijayendra said it was a matter of shame that the government could not protect its own minister.

The Leader of Opposition, R Ashoka, said the government was no bothered when the Cooperation Minister K N Rajanna said in the Assembly that attempts were to 'honey trap' MLAs.

Ashoka said the BJP had demanded a judicial inquiry or a CBI probe into the minister’s statement to protect the sanctity and dignity of the Assembly.

"A minister has also appealed to the government to save him as attempts were made to honey trap him. Yet, the CM did not reply. Can you expect justice from this government," the BJP leader asked.

He said the suspension was an assault on the 18 BJP MLAs who fought for justice and demanded a judicial probe.

"The Congress itself should have taken initiative and ordered a CBI or judicial probe. Instead it suspended the 18 MLAs, which was unjust and disrespectful to the House," Ashoka said. PTI GMS GMS KH

Source: PTI