Heated exchange in Karnataka Assembly on Emergency, Constitution

The ruling Congress and Opposition BJP members were involved in a heated exchange on the issue of the Emergency and protecting the Constitution, in the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday.

The ruling Congress and Opposition BJP members were involved in a heated exchange on the issue of the Emergency and protecting the Constitution, in the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday.

Even as the arguments continued, Assembly Speaker U.T. Khader mentioned both pros and cons of the Emergency and said the entire coastline from Gujarat to Kerala was ruled by smugglers such as Haji Mastan and Karim Lala in those days and during the Emergency they were put in jail by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

BJP members, including Araga Jnanendra and Harish Poonja, took exception to this and said the Emergency was nothing but the “subversion of the Constitution”. Mr. Poonja asked if the Emergency was required to be brought in for the Congress government to arrest Haji Mastan. This led to a heated exchange between the two sides. Leader of the Opposition R. Ashok said the Speaker should not defend the Emergency.

Amid the chaos, Congress member Raje Gowda allegedly used a derogatory word against Mr. Poonja. As angry BJP members stood up and demanded an apology from the ruling party member, the Speaker said the word would be expunged after checking the records.

The issue began when Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar took a dig at Mr. Ashok, while reacting to his appreciation of the Speaker for installing a plaque containing the preamble of the Constitution and Indian flag inside the House.

Senior BJP member S.Suresh Kumar said he was a victim of the Emergency. “I was their (Congress) guest at the High Ground police station,” he said sarcastically. “You (Congress) cannot come out of the dark image of those 21 months of the Emergency,” he said.

Congress members, including Ministers Dinesh Gundu Rao and K.J. George, said the country had been witnessing an “undeclared emergency” during the last 10 years and criticised the use of probe agencies for harassing leaders of Opposition parties.