BENGALURU: The Congress began day-and-night protests in both houses of the legislature on Thursday demanding the resignation of rural development and panchayat raj minister KS Eshwarappa for his statement on the saffron flag. The minister has courted controversy by stating: “In future, the saffron flag could replace the national flag at Red Fort.”
The opposition members decided to intensify their agitation by sitting on a day-and-night dharna after their demand was turned down by speaker Vishweshwara Hegde Kageri on Thursday.
Around 120 MLAs and MLCs, including opposition leader Siddaramaiah and KPCC president DK Shivakumar, stayed overnight. The government had arranged dinner and beds to facilitate their night stay. “We’ll take our protest to a logical end. The government must dismiss Eshwarappa and lodge a sedition case against him,” Siddaramaiah said.
Earlier in the day, Congress members rushed into the well of the houses and raised slogans against Eshwarappa. They did not heed to repeated pleas of the speaker to allow the proceedings to go on.
Amid sloganeering by Congress members, the speaker rushed through the question hour and adjourned the house. He even held two rounds of meetings with the opposition leaders to end the stalemate, but in vain.
Chief minister Basavaraj Bommai took exception to the protest. “Not that there were no day-and-night protests in the past. They were for the people’s cause. This protest is against a statement which is meaningless. There is nothing illegal in Eshwarappa’s statement,” he said.
He said the Congress is trying to gain political mileage but it will not succeed. “The government and people of the state are striving hard to end the ongoing issue (hijab) in schools and colleges. The Congress, being the principal opposition, has resorted to protest against a non-issue which is unfortunate,” he said. Defending Eshwarappa, BJP alleged that the Congress “insulted” the national flag by using it during the protest inside the house.
Siddaramaiah said the governor should intervene and instruct the CM to dismiss Eshwarappa as his comments “amount to treason”.
BSY, CM meet oppn leaders
Bommai, his predecessor BS Yediyurappa and revenue minister R Ashoka held talks with the Congress legislators.
At 6.30pm, Yediyurappa and Ashoka met Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar. Bommai joined them at 7.15pm. “We tried to persuade them to withdraw their stir, but they refused. We will try tomorrow also,” said Yediyurappa.
