BENGALURU: Speaker Vishveshwara Hegde Kageri, generally a calm man, on Tuesday lost his temper, rising from his chair to give a “piece of advice” to a legislator creating “nuisance’’ in the House. Even after repeated pleas, when Congress MLA Parameshwar Naik did not sit down, Kageri rose, and so did his voice.
During question hour, Naik’s name was called to ask a question of Narayana Gowda, Minister for Sports, Planning, Programme Monitoring and Statistics. When Gowda got up to reply, Naik said he didn’t want an answer from Gowda, who had gone to court to restrain media reportage on CDs. “He does not have the morality to sit there and reply,’’ Naik said. Home and Law Minister Basavaraj Bommai began defending Gowda, which irked Naik.
The Congress MLA began speaking about the Ramesh Jarkiholi CD case, saying that BJP ministers are involved in such cases, and have lost their morality. Bommai retorted, asking if Congress netas were not involved in such cases. There was a hot exchange of words, and Kageri directed Naik to sit down. But Naik did not stop, despite repeated orders.
Kageri got up from his chair and told Naik he should listen to the chair. “You are wasting the time of the House. There is a dignity to the House, do not damage it with your misbehaviour. Do you think no one is watching you? You seems to have lost common sense. Lakhs of people voted for you and you should represent their voice. Your behaviour is not acceptable...” he said.
Kageri also said that the House is a temple of democracy. “I am not stopping anyone from speaking. That does not mean you can say whatever you want, you should respect the chair. People are watching, do not become a laughing stock,’’ he said.Senior Congress leader and former DyCM G Parameshwara said, “I have not seen you lose your temper. This should not have happened. We respect the Chair.’’