Bengaluru, 9 August

A BJP-JD(S) delegation met Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Sunday, and demanded strict action against Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and others for allegedly coercing Council Chairman Basavaraj Horatti into tendering his resignation. 

Led by Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, the delegation submitted a petition alleging that though Horatti planned to resign on 14 August, Shivakumar, KPCC President BK Hariprasad and MLCs Saleem Ahmed and S Ravi pressured him for over 90 minutes during a meeting and forcibly obtained his resignation on the official letterhead.

They demanded the Governor reject the "unconstitutional resignation" and order an inquiry against the leaders involved for undermining legislative autonomy.

Horatti resigned Friday, saying Congress had threatened to move a no-confidence motion against him if he refused. In a letter to the Governor, Horatti said the CM and others came to his chamber during an MLC's oath-taking ceremony and asked him to resign immediately, despite his earlier plan to step down on 14 August after thanking Council members.

"Disregarding the rules, they called the Chairman's Personal Secretary and ordered him to bring the chairman's official letterhead," the delegation alleged. "They threatened him (Horatti) like goondas, and forcibly and unconstitutionally obtained his resignation. This incident is a grave affront to the dignity of the legislature and the sanctity of the Constitution”.

"The ruling party leaders themselves got the resignation letter typed on that letterhead and forcibly and unconstitutionally obtained the chairman's signature on it," they claimed.

The resignation followed the Congress high command's letter approving Saleem Ahmed as Council chairman nominee and Umashree as deputy chairperson, alongside a list of ministers sworn in on 3 August.