Bengaluru, 25 May       

 Assembly Speaker UT Khader on Sunday revoked the six-month suspension of 18 BJP MLAs, imposed on 21 March for alleged indiscipline and disrespect towards the Speaker during the Budget session.

The decision followed a high-level meeting with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, his Deputy DK Shivakumar, Leader of Opposition R Ashoka and Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister HK Patil. Khader said the MLAs had expressed regret and assured that such behaviour would not be repeated. The suspension was enforced after the BJP MLAs staged a protest inside the Assembly over 4 per cent Muslim reservation in public contracts and demanded a judicial probe into an alleged “honey-trap” case involving Cooperation Minister KN Rajanna. The protest escalated as several BJP MLAs climbed onto the podium, surrounded the Speaker’s chair, and hurled papers, prompting marshals to forcibly remove them.

Khader said the decision to revoke the suspension was taken in good faith. “They are not enemies, but our colleagues. The incident happened in a fit of emotion. With trust that such behaviour will not recur, I have revoked the suspension,” he said. Requests for revocation were made by Ashoka, Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, and Union Ministers Pralhad Joshi and Shobha Karandlaje. The Speaker dismissed speculation about legal pressure, affirming the Speaker’s authority. The suspended MLAs were Doddanagouda Patil, Ashwath Narayan, SR Vishwanath, BA Basavaraju, MR Patil, Channabasappa, B Suresh Gowda, Umanath Kotyan, Sharanu Salagar, Shailendra Beldale, CK Ramamurthy, Yashpal Suvarna, BP Harish, Bharath Shetty, Dheeraj Muniraju, Chandru Lamani, Muniratna and Basavaraj Mattimud.