Bengaluru: Karnataka Congress MLA BK Sangamesh shocked the Assembly that commenced its Budget session on Thursday when he removed his shirt as a mark of protest during the ‘One Nation One Election’ debate that was taking place ahead of CM BS Yediyurappa’s second Budget presentation scheduled for March 8.
When several warnings went unheeded, Speaker VH Kageri suspended him from attending the Assembly for seven days.
When the Speaker decided to hold a discussion on the ‘One Nation One Election’ issue, the Congress MLAs walked down to the well of the Assembly and started to protest. It was then that Sangamesh, a legislator from Bhadravathi constituency in Shivamogga district, took off his shirt.
Congress state president DK Shivakumar rushed to Sangamesh and urged him to put his shirt back. A livid Speaker Kageri told Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah to control his MLA.
Following his suspension, Sangamesh claimed that he did not do anything obscene but wanted to get “justice”.
“If we don't get justice where do we have to go in the Assembly? It is the Speaker! This wouldn't have happened at all if the speaker had been just. Speaker has become the puppet of BJP. He is not the Speaker for 224 MLAs and is acting like an agent of the BJP,” he told a news TV channel.
On asked if it was done in a spur of the moment or if it was intentional, he said, “It was intentional and I wanted to get justice! I haven't done obscene things or done corruption. My protest will continue.”
