HUBBALLI: Former Karnataka Legislative Council chairman Basavaraj Horatti has reiterated that he was pressured by Chief Minister DK Shivakumar to resign from the chairman’s post before the agreed date, saying the development has deeply hurt him. He also criticised the alleged decision to announce his successor’s name on a party letterhead, calling it inappropriate.
Speaking to the media here on Tuesday, Horatti said he had earlier discussed the matter with the chief minister and agreed to resign on August 14 after a formal farewell, and even prepared his resignation letter accordingly.
Stating that the situation, however, changed after the August 7 oath-taking ceremony, the former Council chairman said Shivakumar and several others visited his office and asked him to resign immediately. “I told the Chief Minister that I would resign on August 14, but he insisted that I resign that day itself. I had no option but to sign and submit the resignation letter,” Horatti said.
Horatti claimed the CM had called him even when he was undergoing treatment in hospital and asked him to step down. The eight-time MLC questioned the manner in which his resignation was sought, stating that the chairman of the Council cannot simply be asked to step down. He said removal from the post should happen through a no-confidence motion in the House.
Stating that he has not yet received any communication from the Governor on his resignation, Horatti expressed disappointment with the state government, saying he had served in the legislature for 46 years and was deeply hurt by the way his resignation was handled.
“I was not even allowed to deliver a farewell speech. Not getting an opportunity to pay my respects to the House has caused me great pain,” he said.
Criticising the announcement of his successor’s name as “inappropriate and unconstitutional”, he said the Legislative Council has traditionally been regarded as a model for the country, but claimed that an incident of this nature had occurred for the first time. Despite the controversy, Horatti further said he did not intend to pursue legal action for now, and would continue to participate in proceedings as an ordinary member.
After returning from Bengaluru, Horatti visited his farm and spent time tending to his cattle, a video of which went viral on social media.
