Learning from Kerala's 'Heckling' Incident, Karnataka's 'Do's & Don'ts' for MLAs Before Governor's Speech

Bengaluru: To avoid a Kerala or West Bengal-like situation, Karnataka Legislature has issued a notification warning the members that they can be suspended from the House, if they disrupt Governor's speech to the joint session of the legislature on February 19.

The Legislative Council secretary Mahalakshmi has issued a notification to all members through her office with "Dos and Don'ts".

The notification says: "under rule 26 of the Karnataka Legislative Council, no member is allowed to disrupt the speech of the Governor. They can't make any speeches or shout slogans and disrupt the speech in any manner. If they do that, the member or members concerned can be suspended from the House."

It also bars the members from raising a point of order.

Even though the said rule is old and the members are aware of it, the secretary issuing a notification is something new. It has angered the opposition Congress and JDS members, who are eagerly waiting to put the six-month-old BJP government in the state on the mat for various reasons during the session.

They feel that the state government is scared after the ruckus in Kerala and West Bengal Assemblies during Governor's speech.

The Kerala Assembly on Wednesday witnessed dramatic scenes as Congress-led UDF MLAs stood in the House with anti-CAA posters and raised 'governor, go back' slogans, following which the watch and ward personnel had to clear the way and escort Arif Mohammad Khan to the dias.

The Karnataka Budget session is beginning on February 17. Governor Vaju Bhai Vala, whose term is already over, is addressing the joint session by reading out a speech prepared by the state government.

Surprisingly, the Legislative Council or the Upper House, whose Chairman K Pratap Chandra Shetty is from the Congress, has issued this notification. Shetty, a veteran Congress leader was elected Chairman of the Upper House with the backing of Siddaramaiah.

The Assembly Speaker Kageri is a staunch RSS worker and his style of functioning is being openly questioned by Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah. They had exchanged heated words during Monsoon Session.