Video: Suspended Amid Honey Trap Row, Karnataka MLAs Carried Out By Marshals

Dramatic scenes played out at the Karnataka Assembly complex on Friday after 18 BJP MLAs were suspended following an uproar over alleged honey trap attempts against nearly 50 leaders, including ministers, and the 4 per cent minority quota in government contracts. Videos showed marshals carrying at least four MLAs out of the Assembly on their shoulders with some of them continuing to chant slogans, including 'Bharat Mata ki jai', as they did so. 

Cooperation Minister K N Rajanna, who is from the Congress, had informed the Assembly on Thursday that there had been attempts to honey trap him and at least 47 other politicians across parties. Home Minister G Parameshwara had assured the House that the matter would be investigated. 

#WATCH | Bengaluru: 18 Karnataka BJP MLAs being carried out of the Assembly after their suspension.

The House passed the Bill for their suspension for six months for disrupting the proceedings of Assembly. The Bill was tabled by Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister… pic.twitter.com/KKss0M9LVZ

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When the House assembled on Friday, MLAs from the opposition BJP and Janata Dal (Secular) tropped into the well and shouted slogans, waving compact discs (CDs) that they claimed contained proof of several honey trap attempts. 

BJP MLA Sunil Kumar demanded that Siddaramaiah address the issue before he responded to the debate on the state budget and the chief minister said the government would ensure a proper investigation and action would be taken against anyone found guilty. 

"The government has a responsibility to ensure those guilty under the law are punished. If Rajanna filed a complaint... a high-level investigation will be conducted, as assured by the home minister... Bringing up the matter again, after this assurance, is unnecessary," Mr Siddaramaiah said. 

Using an analogy to caution against over-the-top action, the chief minister continued, "Just because an ox has been tied up does not mean the entire shed should be locked up... Rajanna did not mention names. Had he done so, action could have been taken. There is no question of protecting anyone in this case."

BJP and JDS MLAs, however, insisted on an investigation led by a sitting high court judge and, when Mr Siddaramaiah began his response to the budget, trooped into the well again, tearing up pieces of paper and throwing it in the direction of Speaker UT Khader.

As the chaos continued, the Speaker suspended 18 BJP MLAs for six months for "disrespecting" the Chair. The suspended MLAs include Munirathna, Doddanagouda Patil. H Patil, Ashwath Narayan, SR Vishwanath, MR Patil, Suresh Gowda, Bharath Shetty and Yashpal Suvarna.

Some of these MLAs were then carried out by the marshals. 

Karnataka BJP President BY Vijayendra slammed the Congress government for trying to "cover up the issue".

Minister's Remarks

Speaking in the Assembly on Thursday, Minister Rajanna had said attempts were made to honey trap 48 MLAs over the past 20 years. He was responding to reports of two women being arrested for allegedly honey trapping BJP leader Annappa Swamy in Tumakuru district. Mr Swamy had alleged that a woman had befriended him on Facebook and he was then blackmailed with their intimate videos.

"There is talk that a minister from Tumkuru has been the victim of a honey trap. There are only two of us from Tumkuru, one is me and the other is the home minister. This is not new, there are 48 members who are said to have been victims of this... There are such people on both sides and now my name is also being taken. I appeal to the Home Minister to investigate this matter thoroughly. If needed, I am ready to file a complaint myself. At least we should know who is its 'director' and who is the 'actor'," Mr Rajanna said.