Suspension of BJP MLAs: Is this the Karnataka model? asks HDK

PTI, Jul 20, 2023, 8:43 AM IST

Bengaluru: Questioning the style of governance in Karnataka, former chief minister and BJP leader HD Kumaraswamy slammed Legislative Assembly Speaker UT Khader’s decision to suspend 10 BJP MLAs and accused the Congress government of suppressing the Opposition for highlighting the mistakes of the government.

MLAs were protesting at the well of the House against the state government for allegedly violating norms and deputing IAS officers to welcome leaders from various parties for the recently held meeting of Opposition parties in Bengaluru.

Former CM and JDS leader HD Kumaraswamy condemned the suspension of ten MLAs of the Bharatiya Janata Party from the Assembly and said that the Congress has murdered democracy.

While the BJP leader and former CM Bommai termed the suspension “illegal” and “murder of democracy”. He alleged that the Siddaramaiah government has adopted a “dictatorial” attitude and is trying to stifle the voice of the opposition.

It is pertinent to mention that Congress did not invite Kumaraswamy for the Opposition unity meet which was held in Bengaluru where the grand old party announced the name of the alliance of 26 parties as INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha polls against the BJP.

Speaking to reporters, Kumaraswamy said, “The Congress party doesn’t have any respect for the Constitution. Just a day after announcing INDIA, what they have done today in the Assembly is nothing but a murder of democracy. When the atrocities are questioned, the government must give an answer but instead, it suppresses the voice by suspending the MLAs.”

Kumaraswamy said that the state government has indulged in a heinous act of suppressing the opposition questioning whether ‘is this the Karnataka model’.

“@INCKrnataka govt has indulged in a heinous act of suppressing the Opposition which questioned deploying IAS officers for protocol duties to receive its ineligible India alliance leaders who had come to attend the meeting at a five-star hotel in Bengaluru. For questioning this unconstitutional act, the government suspended Opposition party leaders. It is the murder of democracy. Congress while paying lip service to protect democracy is in fact slitting and killing it. Is this the Karnataka model???”, Kumaraswamy shared in a tweet.

He further said that the Congress government’s uncivilised behaviour has made even the term uncivilised to hang its head in shame.

“A day after it chanted ‘India’ in Bengaluru, @INCIndia has shown scant regard to its utopian idea of India. With no belief in democracy, the Congress has treated Constitutional values like garbage. It is the duty of the civil govt to patiently hear the views of the Opposition & respond to the questions raised by them. But the Congress govt’s uncivilised behaviour has made even the term uncivilised to hang its head in shame”, he added.

(With ANI inputs)