Karnataka: Ahead of the first day of the Winter Session in the Karnataka Assembly, VD Savarkar’s portrait was unveiled in the Assembly Hall which led the Congress to stage protests. Leader of Opposition (LoP) Siddaramaiah also wrote to the Speaker about the issue.
LoP and former CM Siddaramaiah and other Congress MLAs staged a protest. Meanwhile, Siddaramaiah also wrote to the Speaker to install portraits of personalities like Valmiki, Basavanna, Kanaka Dasa, BR Ambedkar, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and many others.
Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President DK Shivakumar alleged that the ruling BJP wants the Assembly proceedings to not take place as the government doesn’t have any development agenda.
“They want us to disrupt the assembly and protest. They know we are going to raise issues of corruption in the session so they are trying to cause trouble by putting up the Savarkar portrait without consulting the opposition,” said Karnataka Congress leader DK Shivakumar.
This is the latest in a series of controversies over Veer Savarkar in Karnataka months before the 2023 state election. The ruling BJP has launched a state-wide campaign to “raise awareness” about Veer Savarkar and honouring his portrait in Belagavi was a part of it, said BJP leaders.
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Assembly too witnessed protests as opposition leaders raised slogans against the Karnataka CM Bommai. The leaders have also criticised the ruling government in Maharashtra for not taking clear stand on the border issue.