Bengaluru, Feb 22 The Karnataka Assembly was on Tuesday adjourned till March 4 amid protests by the Congress MLAs demanding sacking of Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj K.S. Eshwarappa for saying that saffron flag would be hoisted atop the Red Fort.
Soon after the proceedings began, Congress MLAs started protesting and raising slogans demanding sacking of Minister Eshwarappa. At this, Speaker Vishveshwara Hegde Kageri made a futile attempt of pacifying the agitating members and requesting them to allow a question and answer session.
When his repeated requests went in vain, an upset Speaker accused the Congress MLAs of wasting five days of the session already.
Amid the protests, the ruling BJP government presented and passed a bill increasing salaries of the Chief Minister, ministers, chairman and the Speaker.
Karnataka Legislature salaries, pensions and Allowances Amendment Bill 2022 was passed amid chaos and a total additional expenditure of Rs 67 crore per annum has been sanctioned. The bill also revised the travel and rent allowance of ministers.
Congress is on a day-and-night dharna in the Assembly demanding sacking of minister Eshwarappa over the flag remark.
Eshwarappa, however, stated that he is a lion and opposition are like other animals in a jungle who are always fearful of lions. "They have been taking my name for five days like prayers, I have not said anything wrong regarding hoisting of saffron flag. I did not say anything about removal of the tricolour," he defended.
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