Karnataka legislative council chairperson Basavaraj Horatti on Sunday told reporters in Hubbali that he had stepped down from his position citing a decline in the quality of legislative debates and deteriorating decorum within the House.
Horatti said his resignation letter was submitted to deputy chairperson MK Pranesh on March 18, with a request to be relieved by April 1. While he formally attributed his decision to personal reasons, Horatti also expressed his discontent over the conduct of legislators.
“The conduct in the House is upsetting. Nobody listens to the chairperson, they protest inside the House and bring placards. I am not fit to conduct the proceedings. I have been in politics for 45 years. There is no respect in the House anymore,” he said, addressing reporters.
Horatti, a senior leader and a prominent figure from the Lingayat community, was previously associated with the JD(S) before joining the BJP in 2022. Over the years, he has served multiple terms in the legislative council and held ministerial roles, including education minister.
His resignation comes amid a political storm over the recent uproar in the Karnataka Assembly over allegations of members of legislative assembly (MLAs) being “honey-trapped”, disrupting the proceedings. “The BJP MLAs have disrupted the functioning of the House despite the government’s assurance of a probe by a retired judge. Their actions show a lack of respect for the House and the Speaker. Throwing papers at the Speaker and creating chaos is harmful to democracy. They even abstained from the passage of the finance bill. Witnessing all this was deeply disheartening,” Horatti said referring to the incident.
Meanwhile, chief minister Siddaramaiah met AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday at his official residence in Bengaluru. While an official statement from the CM’s office said that Kharge visited to inquire about Siddaramaiah’s health, leaders familiar with the discussions indicated that the “honey trap” controversy was also a key topic of conversation.
Minister Priyanka Kharge and the chief minister’s political secretary Govindaraju were also present at the meeting. However, they did not speak on what transpired at the meeting.
Cooperation minister KN Rajanna, who has been at the centre of the “honey-trap” controversy, clarified his stance. “I have never said that I was being swindled. They just tried to do it. I will go to Bengaluru on Wednesday and complain to the home minister in this regard,” he said.
Speaking at the district administration office, Rajanna reiterated his earlier remarks about the existence of a “CD factory” operating across political lines. “I have said in the House that the CD factory may be on our side or in every party’s. If an investigation is conducted, it will be clear where it is,” he added.
The controversy has further intensified with the suspension of 18 BJP MLAs from the assembly for six months due to their disruptive protests.
State legislative assembly speaker UT Khader, addressing the matter, maintained that the suspension was not a retaliatory act but a necessary measure to uphold order.
“They tore papers and threw them at me, showing disrespect to the chair. They even climbed onto the speaker’s podium and obstructed proceedings… The suspension was not imposed out of anger or vendetta. If the 18 MLAs submit a request, I will consider the next course of action. There was no external pressure in this decision,” Khader said.
On the other hand, BJP MP Jagadish Shettar condemned the suspension, calling it “undemocratic” and urged the speaker to revoke the order. He also appealed to chief minister Siddaramaiah to intervene. “This suspension was undemocratic… I insist that the Speaker withdraw this order and CM Siddaramaiah initiates the withdrawal of this suspension order,” Shettar stated.
According to Shettar, the suspended MLAs were protesting against both the proposed 4% Muslim reservation in government tenders and the honey trap scandal. He argued that the protest was aimed at demanding government accountability rather than targeting the speaker.
“BJP MLAs were protesting particularly against the 4% Muslim quota bill and the honey trap scam.
When the government was not properly responding, BJP MLAs started a peaceful protest. There was no protest against the Speaker’s post,” Shettar added.