Karnataka Assembly Speaker calls for introspection on incidents post-Governor’s speech

Karnataka Assembly Speaker urges members to reflect on their conduct following chaotic debates after the Governor's truncated address.

Expressing concern over the incidents and abrasive debates that have taken place in the Assembly after the Governor delivered a truncated address to the joint session of the legislature, Speaker U.T. Khader on Wednesday asked all members of the House to carry out an introspection of their conduct.

“The incidents and debates that have taken place in the Assembly after the Governor addressed a joint session of the legislature on January 22 has sent a wrong message to the public. Our conduct as members of the House should not only be good and in tune with Constitutional norms, but also help uphold the dignity of the House as well as its members. As members of the House, all of us, should carry out an introspection in this regard,” the Speaker said.

He was referring to the chaos in the joint session after the Governor cut short his address and walked out.

With reference to the stalemate in the House — with the BJP and the JD(S) members accusing the ruling Congress members of insulting the Governor and the ruling Congress members accusing the Governor of insulting the national anthem — the Speaker asked the members to end the issue and continue the debate on motion of thanks to the Governor’s address.

The Speaker, who on Tuesday issued a ruling asking members to desist from going into the conduct of the Governor during the debate, reiterated it on Wednesday.

The impasse in the Assembly ended with this statement by the Speaker.