Archive · 19 Aug 2026
Karnataka Speaker urges Opposition to protest inside House well
Opposition lawmakers in Karnataka are protesting inside the state Assembly.
They want Minister B Nagendra removed because of allegations linked to an alleged scam.
So far, BJP lawmakers have protested from near their seats instead of entering the well of the House.
Speaker G S Patil said protests should be held in the well if lawmakers want to protest.
This led to an argument between the government and Opposition members.
Opposition leader R Ashoka said they respected the Speaker but criticized the Congress.
Congress leaders said the Opposition should follow the Assembly’s rules.
BJP members replied that Congress had also protested from its seats in Parliament.
BJP and JD(S) legislators have protested in the Karnataka Assembly since Monday.
The Opposition is demanding the dismissal of Planning and Statistics Minister B Nagendra over alleged scam-related allegations.
Speaker G S Patil told protesting MLAs to enter the well of the House rather than protest from their allotted seats.
Leader of Opposition R Ashoka said the Opposition respected the Speaker but would not listen to the Congress.
Congress leaders defended the Speaker, while BJP members cited Congress protests in Parliament as a comparable example.
- Who
- Karnataka Assembly Speaker G S Patil, BJP and JD(S) MLAs, the Congress government, and Opposition leader R Ashoka.
- What
- The Speaker directed protesting Opposition MLAs to move from their allotted seats to the well of the House.
- When
- The dispute occurred on Wednesday, August 19; the Opposition had been protesting since Monday.
- Where
- The Karnataka Legislative Assembly in Bengaluru.
- Why
- The Opposition is demanding the dismissal of Planning and Statistics Minister B Nagendra over allegations connected to an alleged scam.
Opposition position
Government position
Where protests should take place
Opposition position
BJP and JD(S) legislators have been protesting near their allotted seats and argue that Congress has used a similar approach in Parliament.
Government position
Speaker G S Patil and Home Minister Priyank Kharge said protesting and shouting from allotted seats was improper and urged the Opposition to use the well of the House.
Treatment of the Opposition protest
Opposition position
The Opposition says it respects the Speaker but has criticized the Congress and continued its protest over the demand concerning B Nagendra.
Government position
The Speaker said he had initially refrained from strictly enforcing the rule book but insisted that the protest method should comply with Assembly rules.
- Speaker
- G S Patil
- Opposition parties
- BJP and JD(S)
- Main demand
- Dismissal of Planning and Statistics Minister B Nagendra
- Protest location so far
- Near the legislators’ allotted seats
- Speaker’s instruction
- Move the protest to the well of the House
- Opposition leader
- R Ashoka
- Government response
- Home Minister Priyank Kharge defended the Speaker’s position