K'taka Assembly sees chaos over BJP minister's saffron flag statement

Bengaluru: Karnataka Minister K.S. Eshwarappa is in the soup after stating that saffron flag being hoisted in Red Fort sometime.

K.S. Eshwarappa, the BJP minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, has raised some heckles in the opposition.

Now, the statement is the bone of contention between both camps amid the roiling Hijab issue.

Protesting Congress leaders piled into the well of the Assembly, holding the national flag.

They accused Eshwarappa of denigrating the Tricolour and demanded his sacking from the cabinet.

The protest spiraled into chaos, disrupting the House proceedings.

Speaker Vishveshwara Hegde Kageri adjourned the House till Thursday.

The Congress has warned the BJP of staging overnight protest in the Assembly if Eshwarappa is not given his walking papers.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai took to task the Congress for flashing the national flag in the House.

He was citing the code about where and how to use the national flag.

"We have to use the national flag with respect, the Congress has violated it. People are watching, the Congress has failed as a responsible opposition party," he said.

According to Congress State President D.K. Shivakumar the Governor should have sacked Eshwarappa for his statement about hoisting the saffron flag at the Red Fort.

They have hoisted a saffron flag on the flag post where the Tricolour was supposed to be hoisted. Eshwarappa has agreed that he had brought saffron shawls from Ayodhya and distributed them to students. "We all should fight against anti-nationals. It is our responsibility. Eshwarappa's resignation should have been taken and he should be investigated on sedition charges. The Speaker of the House is behaving like a party person," Shivakumar charged.

Opposition leader Siddaramaiah referred to farmers facing sedition charges after they hoisted their flag in place of the national flag.

Why is there no case against Eshwarappa for his remarks? BJP leaders maintain that the national anthem, national flag should be changed. The RSS has not respected them for a single day. On January 26, 2002, the national flag was not hoisted at the RSS headquarters at Nagpur. The BJP wants Manusmriti in place of the Constitution, Opposition leader Siddaramaiah alleged.

If Manusmriti is implemented, Eshwarappa will never get an opportunity to become a minister again, he will be a shepherd or sweeper, he added.

According to him, Eshwarappa is enslaved to the RSS. He also said that Eswarappa should be dropped from the cabinet before the Assembly session on Thursday.

Eshwarappa has retorted that the Congress party is dividing students on the basis of religion.

"I have been in the Assembly since 1989. What happened today is a black mark in the history of the legislative assembly. No political party has so far misused the national flag to pursue its agenda," Eshwarappa added.

Eshwarappa apologized for taking the name of Shivakumar's father in the heat of the moment during the discussion in the Assembly, IANS reported.