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The BJP staged a day-long protest inside the Legislative Assembly Monday demanding that the Karnataka government sack Housing, Wakf and Minority Welfare Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan over his controversial remarks during the recent election campaign in Telangana.
Khan, making a speech at a rally in the third week of November, had said that for the first time in the Karnataka Assembly, legislators had to show respect with folded hands to a Muslim Speaker, drawing criticism from state BJP leaders before the issue was raised in the House.
Leader of Opposition R Ashok and other BJP legislators launched the protest as soon as Khan rose to respond to a query during the Question Hour in the state legislature. Ashok demanded that Zameer be sacked from the Cabinet, even as BJP and JD(S) legislators stormed into the well of the House and staged a protest.
“He (Zameer) has brought disrepute to the Speaker’s chair,” Ashok said, while another MLA Dr C N Ashwath Narayan accused the minister of disrespecting the post and said that he was “not worthy to be an MLA”.
Speaker U T Khader, meanwhile, urged Opposition parties to submit a notice before demanding that the issue be taken up for discussion. As commotion over the issue raged, the Speaker adjourned the Assembly and held talks with leaders from both parties to ensure smooth functioning of the House.
When the proceedings resumed, Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda defended his Cabinet colleague. “He has not used any language to insult anyone,” Gowda said, lashing out at the BJP for “dividing the society.”
BJP leaders, meanwhile, upped the attack on Khan. Ashok said the remarks were “an insult to Hindus” and “religious bias” was introduced to the post of the Speaker. “Congress considers Hindus as second-class citizens…. Aren’t Congress leaders ashamed when Hindus are insulted?” he said, provoking angry reactions from Congress MLAs.
The protest continued even when the House assembled after lunch. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who spoke post-lunch, said Zameer told him that “he has not used any unconstitutional words… If the issue was of vital importance, why didn’t the BJP legislators raise it when the session convened last week?” he asked, prompting vehement protests from the Opposition.
BJP MLAs remained on the floor of the House, during which five Bills were passed by the Assembly and other issues were discussed by legislators till around 7 pm.
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