18 BJP MLAs back in Karnataka House as suspension lifted

BENGALURU: Karnataka legislative assembly speaker UT Khader Sunday revoked the suspension of 18 BJP MLAs with immediate effect, allowing them to attend monsoon session likely to be held in July.

A six-month suspension had been slapped on the MLAs on March 21 -- the last day of the budget session -- for unruly behaviour and disrespecting the chair. The incident took place while the opposition members sought judicial probe into the alleged honeytrap attempt on minister KN Rajanna and other members of the House.

Amid the din, the House passed contentious bills, including one seeking to provide 4% reservation to Muslims in govt civil contracts.

The decision to truncate the suspension period by nearly four months came after the speaker's meeting on Sunday with chief minister Siddaramaiah , his deputy DK Shivakumar, law and parliamentary minister HK Patil, leader of the opposition in the assembly R Ashoka and others. Later, the CM met the governor at Raj Bhavan to apprise him of the decision.

The speaker's secretariat stated the revocation follows apology and undertaking by the suspended legislators that they will adhere to parliamentary ethics and discipline in future sessions. The decision was also prompted by a letter to the speaker from Ashoka.

In the interim, the suspended MLAs approached the governor, seeking intervention to revoke their suspension.