18 BJP MLAs Suspended After High Drama Over Honey Trap in Karnataka Assembly

Honey trapping is not restricted to state leaders, but extended to leaders from national parties, minister KN Ranjana, the alleged honey-trapping target, said

- LAKSHMANA VENKAT KUCHI

The Karnataka Assembly witnessed uproarious scenes on Friday with BJP MLAs being suspended and marshalled out after they entered the well of the House, shouting slogans demanding a CBI probe into the honey trap attempts on Cooperation Minister KN Ranjana and claimed that 48 MLAs cutting across party lines were victims and sought a police investigation into the affair.

Incidentally, the cooperation minister had alleged that there were pen drives of 48 MLAs. Honey trapping is not restricted to state leaders, but extended to leaders from national parties. This is a menace, he said, urging the state home minister for action.

He had maintained that there were attempts to honey trap him as well.

On Friday, when the House met in the morning, the BJP MLAs began their protest on this matter, and matters took a serious turn when many of them rushed into the well of the house while some menacingly moved towards the speaker's chair.

The BJP MLAs ignored Speaker UT Khader's pleas to maintain decorum and let the House function and continued with their ruckus, even after the house met after a brief adjournment, the speaker suspended 18 BJP MLAs for six months.

The protesting BJP MLAs were throwing papers and books at the speaker's chair and in the chief minister's direction, following which the marshals physically evicted the MLAs who were disrupting the proceedings.