Karnataka assembly witnessed uproarious scenes on Friday with BJP MLAs being suspended and marshalled out after they entered the well of the house, shouting slogans demanding a CBI probe into the honey trap attempts on Cooperation Minister KN Ranjana and claimed that 48 MLAs cutting across party lines were victims and sought a police investigation into the affair.

Incidentally, the cooperation minister had alleged that there were pen drives of 48 MLAs. Honey trapping is not restricted to state leaders, but extended to leaders from national parties. This is a menace he said urging the state home minister for action. He had maintained that there were attempts to honey trap him as well.

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On Friday, when the house met in the morning, the BJP MLAs began their protest on this matter, and matters took a serious turn when many of them rushed into the well of the house while some menacingly moved towards the speaker’s chair.

The BJP MLAs ignored Speaker UT Khader’s pleas to maintain decorum and let the house function and continued with their ruckus, even after the house met after a brief adjournment, the speaker suspended 18 BJP MLAs for six months. The protesting BJP MLAs were throwing papers and books at the speaker’s chair and in the chief minister’s direction. following which the marshals physically evicted the MLAs who were disrupting the proceedings.

Incidentally, the BJP protests continued even as the chief minister was speaking. And few of them could be seen climbing close to the chair of the speaker, promoting the arrival of marshals to protect the speaker.

The day began with protests from the BJP, which kicked up a ruckus as the party MLAs began disrupting the proceedings with slogan shouting as they mistakenly assumed that the Bill seeking to provide reservation for Muslims in government contracts was passed when actually it was a finance Bill that went through.

Amid the ruckus, two Bills were passed, one was of finance and the other was related to the salary hike of CM, ministers and MLAs. At this time, the BJP MLAs had imagined that the 4 per cent reservation for Muslims in government contracts was also passed and raised slogans and created disturbances. At that time too, the BJP MLAs were seen throwing papers and books at the speaker’s chair.

But for the record, the reservation Bill is still under the consideration of the government and no final decision has yet been taken.

After the house met following a brief adjournment, the BJP MLAs began creating a ruckus demanding a judicial probe into the series of honey trap attempts as alleged by Rajanna, and disrupted proceedings. It was then that their suspension was ordered, following the house’s permission to suspend them for six months.

A proposal was moved for their suspension for six months for disrupting the proceedings of the assembly, and passed. This proposal was moved by Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs minister MB Patil. The MLAs were physically lifted from the house and deposited outside. The protesting MLAs maintained that the state had become a factory for CB and pen drives. Senior BJP MLA Basangouda Patil Yatnal alleged that someone was involved in honey-trapping the legislators with an eye on becoming the chief minister.

Outside the assembly, the suspension of the MLAs kicked up a storm as the Congress launched a frontal attack on the behaviour and attitude of the BJP MLAs and justified the unprecedented decision of suspension of 18 MLAs. They would not be allowed into any of the facilities of the assembly and their allowances would also be cut for the period of suspension.

Congress MLA Pradeep Ishwar said the speaker had done a fantastic job and sent out a strong message to the country that the speaker is supreme in the assembly and no one else. Whether it is BJP or any other party, they have to accept the order from the chair for smooth running of the house.

The ruling party and the government will refuse to reconsider the suspension order. “Why should the order be reconsidered, we strongly oppose it. If 18 BJP MLAs disrespect the speaker, why should their suspension be revoked,” he questioned. The suspended MLAs will be missing the Monsoon session also, which takes place in three months.

The BJP maintained that the suspensions were only to reduce the numbers of the BJP MLAs so that they can pass all bills without any opposition. “The Congress will pass the muslim reservation bill without any opposition and for this they are bringing down the numbers,” alleged a BJP MLA Bharat Shetty, even as he was brought out by the marshals. The suspended BJP members have decided to call on the government to complain about their suspension.