Bengaluru, Jul 20 (IANS): The Karnataka BJP staged a protest in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue in the premises of the Vidhana Soudha on Thursday condemning the decision of the Speaker to suspend 10 BJP MLAs from the legislature.

The BJP leaders went in a procession to the Raj Bhavan and submitted a complaint against the Speaker and the ruling Congress.

Earlier, BJP legislators held a meeting at the party headquarter Jagannath Bhavan in Malleshwaram under the leadership of state party president Nalin Kumar Kateel. It was decided to boycott the session and submit a complaint about the suspension of the BJP MLAs to the Governor. Former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai stated that the law and order system is collapsing in the state and there are various other issues. To top it all they (Congress government) have suspended BJP MLAs for raising the issue of IAS officers deputation to welcome guests at the opposition parties meet. “We want to take all these issues to the people. Today we are staging a dharna and going to the governor. We will also apprise the Union Home minister about the law and order situation in the state,” he said.

When asked about the Speaker U.T. Khader already meeting the Governor over the issue, Bommai said he is free to meet the Governor. “Without caring for the honour of the position of the Speaker, he waited for 20 minutes and then went to attend the dinner party at the opposition party leaders' meeting. The moment he attended the political meet, his conduct has to be questioned and we will apprise the Governor about this.” BJP MLA Mahesh Tenginakayi stated that the suspension of party MLAs has been discussed and it has been decided not to attend the session. A decision would be taken later for a statewide protest.

Dy CM D.K. Shivakumar commenting on the protest by BJP legislators charged that the BJP MLAs have insulted the Deputy Speaker who is a Dalit by dishonouring the Chair. The Speaker U.T. Khader had stated that instead of suspension, should they (BJP MLAs) have been invited and offered tea for creating a ruckus in the assembly.

Meanwhile, the BJP has posed a slew of questions to the Congress government alleging that it is trying to silence the voice of the opposition and destroying democracy. How did the Congress government immorally use IAS officers for a private political meet? Why did the Home Minister give a clean chit to the arrested five suspected terrorists despite the prima facie evidence? What is the action of the government in connection with the suicide of 42 farmers? What is the Home Minister doing even as the crime rate in the state has increased by 35 per cent and there is lawlessness in the state? Why is Congress whiling away time to implement the guarantee schemes? Why have the prices of vegetables, milk, electricity, and water gone up? When is the end of transfer lobbying where hundreds of crores are minted by the shadow CM? Who gave the power to AICC General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala to hold a meeting of government officers and set targets?