Bengaluru, Feb 5 (IANS) The controversy surrounding the “Pakistani tongue” remark made by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLC C.T. Ravi continued, disrupting proceedings in the Karnataka Legislative Council as Congress members pressed for an apology from MLC Ravi.
As BJP MLC Ravi remained absent from the Assembly House, State Legislative Council Chairman Basavaraj Horatti said on Wednesday that House proceedings would continue until the BJP MLC arrived.
The development led to heated exchanges between the ruling Congress and the Opposition BJP and JD(S) members.
Meanwhile, Karnataka Minister and floor leader N.S. Boseraju moved a resolution in the House seeking action over the “Pakistani tongue” remark by BJP MLC Ravi.
The resolution proposed that BJP MLC Ravi be suspended until the end of the Assembly session.
State Legislative Council Chairman Horatti said that BJP MLC Ravi was absent and that he would take a decision after consulting him.
Later, amid strong protests by Congress members, he added that he would continue the House proceedings until BJP MLC Ravi arrived in the House.
“If BJP MLC C.T. Ravi does not express regret, I will take a decision,” Horatti said.
Despite repeated demands from Congress members and requests by the Chair of the Legislative Council, BJP MLC Ravi, on Tuesday, refused to express regret for his controversial remark, following which the House proceedings were adjourned.
The political remark was made in response to a statement by Congress MLC Naseer Ahmed, who had referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “deshdrohi” (anti-national).
On Monday, Naseer Ahmed had made the remark in the presence of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah during the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the Governor’s address to the joint Assembly session.
After Naseer Ahmed later expressed regret for his remark, Congress members demanded an apology from BJP MLC Ravi.
After House proceedings resumed on Wednesday, Minister Boseraju demanded that BJP MLC Ravi comply with the Chair’s direction and express regret for his remark.
“The comment directed at our (Congress MLC Naseer Ahmed) member is inappropriate. The Chair has asked him (BJP MLC C.T. Ravi) to apologise five times,” he said.
Senior Congress leader Saleem Ahmed said, “We submitted a letter against MLC Ravi, and you, Chairperson, also advised him to apologise. MLC Ravi is not responding, and the Chair should issue an order in this matter.”
Another senior Congress leader, Ivan D’Souza, said, “We discussed this issue at length and decided not to treat it as a matter of prestige. Our MLC Naseer Ahmed expressed regret for his remarks against Prime Minister Modi. The Chair had decided that first Naseer Ahmed should apologise and then C.T. Ravi should do so. Our (Congress) member has complied, but the Opposition member has not. How can we ignore this and continue House proceedings? MLC Ravi should set a good precedent by apologising.”
Congress MLC Ramesh Babu said, “It is our bounden duty to follow the orders of the Chair. To uphold the traditions of the Upper House of the Legislative Assembly (Legislative Council), the Chair’s directions must be respected. When Naseer Ahmed expressed regret, MLC Ravi should have done the same.”
Responding to Congress MLC Ramesh Babu’s remarks, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy said, “The issue has already ended. After House proceedings began, the House took up the Question Hour. Once House proceedings move forward, we cannot go back. Secondly, the Chair has not issued any order. The Chair stated that MLC Ravi’s remark was not unparliamentary and that it would be removed from the records. The Chair also said the matter was left to Ravi’s conscience.”
“Let us not reopen a closed issue. The Congress member made remarks against the Prime Minister multiple times during the discussion, which was incorrect. This time, he did so in the presence of the Chief Minister (Siddaramaiah). We protested to put an end to this practice,” he added.
Narayanaswamy said that no unparliamentary word was used by MLC Ravi and that the term was removed from the records.
“There is no scope for expressing regret or tendering an apology in this matter, and no further discussion is required,” he added.
Reacting to Chalavadi Narayanaswamy’s remarks over the row, Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K. Patil, said, “The Chair requested MLC Ravi five times. The Assembly Speaker’s advice is a command. Congress MLC Naseer Ahmed also had his arguments, but he expressed regret at the request of the Assembly Speaker to ensure the House functioned. If MLC Ravi refuses to apologise now, it is unfair. The Assembly Speaker’s advice must always be treated as a command.”
Responding to Minister Patil’s comments, Narayanaswamy said Minister Patil was portraying Naseer Ahmed’s apology as an achievement.
“Was it a great act to apologise after insulting the Prime Minister, who was elected by 140 crore people? The matter should end here,” he added.
Minister Boseraju reiterated that MLC Ravi must apologise for his remark.
BJP MLC D.S. Arun said that every action has an equal and opposite reaction.
“Targeting the Prime Minister has been going on for years. The regret expressed by Naseer Ahmed was not convincing. The matter should be dropped now,” he added.
Congress MLC Saleem Ahmed demanded that if BJP MLC Ravi did not express regret, he should be expelled from the House.
–IANS
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