Bengaluru: The Congress MLCs dragged off the Deputy Chairman of the Karnataka Legislative Council on Tuesday and was manhandled. The Congress MLCs are seen surrounding the Chair and Deputy Chairperson Bhojegowda of the Janata Dal Secular is physically pulled out of his seat, apparently by Congress members who feared he would back the BJP’s demands. The Council’s Chairperson, K Prathapachandra Shetty of the Congress, later came and adjourned the session.

Ruling BJP of Karnataka wants to remove Shetty as Chairperson. The party had called for a no-confidence motion against Shetty, who had adjourned the house ahead of schedule last week, before the Government’s controversial bill prescribing tough punishment for cow slaughter could be taken up. The winter session of the Karnataka Legislature was originally scheduled between December 7 and 15. After it was cut short by the Chairman, the State Government called for today’s one-day session of the council, and the Karnataka Prevention of Cow Slaughter and Cattle Preservation Bill was widely expected to come up.

The Congress and JDS MLCs in the Council are morethan the BJP. The opposition parties have made it clear they will not support the Government over the cow protection bill. But today, the JDS appeared to be with the Government, or so the Congress claimed. The Congress members erupted in protest when they saw the Deputy Chairperson (a JDS leader) in the Chair instead of the Chairperson.

“As the bell was going on, the Deputy Chairperson occupied the chair illegally and unconstitutionally. The Congress asked him to get up. When he did not listen to this we had to forcefully tell him to get down. After that the Chairman came, saw the House was not in order and adjourned it sine die,” said Congress member Prakash Rathod. “The Government has murdered democracy and insulted the constitution. JDS has given up its secular credentials. It is a black day in Karnataka legislature,” he said.

Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa said that BJP and JDS members would go together to meet the state Governor. He also said that “The Chairman has no moral right to sit in the Chair. That is why we asked the Deputy Chairman to sit. The Chairman should resign. It is a shame for the Congress”. The new Cow Protection Act – which replaces legislation from 1964 that also prohibited the slaughter of cows – has been red-flagged for both tougher punishments and provisions that many are calling “undemocratic”.