BENGALURU: The Legislative Assembly witnessed pandemonium on Monday when Opposition BJP legislators took strong exception to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s remarks against RSS.
The House resumed proceedings only after Speaker UT Khader expunged the CM’s remarks against RSS and those by BJP legislators against the ruling Congress.
In his reply to the governor’s address, Siddaramaiah claimed that the law and order situation in the state is better when compared to that of the previous BJP government. Presenting a comparative data, Siddaramaiah made some remarks against RSS.
Taking strong exception to Siddramaiah’s remarks, Leader of Opposition R Ashoka demanded that they be expunged. “Even our prime minister and home minister are from the RSS background. The CM should withdraw his remarks and the speaker expunge them,” he said.
Meanwhile, BJP legislators raised slogans against Congress by naming its senior leader Sonia Gandhi and LoP in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi. KM Shivalinge Gowda of BJP, who was presiding over the proceedings, adjourned the House twice.
When the House resumed proceedings, Siddaramaiah defended himself saying that he did not use any unparliamentary language against RSS, except wishing that it should not incite trouble in the state. He accepted Khader’s ruling on expunging his remarks.
BJP MLAs alleged that the Siddaramaiah government is acting as an agent of SDPI and PFI by withdrawing criminal cases against some members of these organisations. But the government categorically denied it.
‘CM’s RSS remarks deliberate to drag House to adjournment’
Siddaramaiah claimed that the home department has not only contained the crime rate, but also ensured that the guilty were punished. “Mangaluru police have seized narcotics worth Rs 75 crore in Bengaluru on Sunday, which you (BJP) have also appreciated,” he said.
The number of cases involving narcotics came down from 6,406 during 2022-23 (when BJP was in power) to 4,188 till February 2025, he said.
Presenting data, he said the number of murder cases came down from 1,365 to 1,209 now, attempted murder (2,828 to 2,809), dacoity (215 to 154), robbery (1066 to 991), rioting (3,930 to 3,450), chain snatching (669 to 617), and atrocities on SCs and STs (2,138 to 2,113).
Soon came his remarks against RSS, resulting in members of ruling and opposition parties trading charges. “RSS need not learn from Congress. RSS is involved in nation-building activities and even former prime minister Jawahar Lal Nehru allowed it to take part in a parade along with the Indian Army,” Ashoka said.
Ashoka alleged that Siddaramaiah deliberately made those remarks against RSS to drag the House towards adjournment. Siddaramaiah hit back saying that former PM Sardar Vallabhai Patel banned RSS post Gandhi’s assassination.
RDPR minister Priyank Kharge sought to know why RSS did not hoist the national flag at its headquarters in Nagpur even after Independence. He also sought to know how many BJP leaders are sending their children to RSS shakhas these days.
In his reply, BJP’s Sunil Kumar asked Kharge if his children live in a Dalit colony or at posh Sadashiva Nagar in Bengaluru? “The BJP, which does not tolerate the progress of Dalits and Backward Classes, has the evil intention of keeping Dalits in Dalit colonies,” the CM said. BJP legislators raised ‘RSS zindabad’ slogans, while those from Congress countered it with ‘murdabad’.
Meanwhile, BJP members objected to some Congress MLAs flaunting the national flag, terming it an insult to the tricolour. This led to an uproar and BJP legislators alleged that a Congress MLA addressed a BJP legislator in singular.
Congress MLAs alleged that some BJP legislators shot videos inside the House. Members were warned against shooting videos inside the House. Those who had shot videos will meet the fate of three ministers, who had to resign in the past.