BENGALURU: In response to Leader of Opposition in the Council Chalavadi T Narayanaswamy’s ‘privilege motion’ in the Legislative Council here on Monday, Deputy Chairman SL Boje Gowda said suitable action would be taken after a report from the privileges panel.
Chalavadi had moved a privilege motion before Council Chairman Basavaraj Horatti, alleging he was ‘heckled’ and ‘illegally confined’ for five hours at the government guesthouse in Chittapur on May 21. He told the House that despite the presence of nearly 300 policemen, none took any step to protect him.
Chalavadi said, “More than 25 people had ganged up against me and police were mute spectators. I was detained for five hours by the goondas, who were sent by minister Priyank Kharge. Police officers kept silent and did not take any action, which is a breach of my privileges. Not a single FIR was filed despite my complaint.”
He sought an apology from Kharge in the presence of CM Siddaramaiah, else his resignation. BJP MLC CT Ravi lamented that a Leader of the Opposition was confined illegally for hours, though he is like the shadow CM. When Congress ministers and MLCs targeted Chalavadi, saying he had likened Kharge to a dog, Chalavadi said he had only quoted a proverb that barking dogs cannot scare an elephant, and questioned why none registered a complaint. He asked Congress MLCs and ministers what they would do if they were illegally confined for hours, setting off a verbal duel between ruling and opposition party members.
“The goondas were sent by Priyank. He is also a goonda,” Chalavadi said.
Congress members opposed usage of the words ‘gooda’ and ‘dog’ in the Council and requested Deputy Chairman Boje Gowda to have the above words removed from the records, to which he agreed.