The opposition Congress in Karnataka on Friday continued to pressurise the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led state government to dismiss cabinet minister KS Eshwarappa over his remarks on the national flag, warning that if the minister is not sacked, the party would move court besides continuing to disrupt the ongoing assembly session.
“Minister KS Eshwarappa must resign. We'll continue overnight protests at the Karnataka assembly till he is sacked from the cabinet. Otherwise, we'll go to court and not allow the assembly to function,” DK Shivakumar, the Karnataka Congress chief, said, according to news agency ANI.
Shivakumar further remarked the freedom which the BJP is enjoying was won by his party. “They are defaming the national flag. It's not just Eshwarappa; his party is also supporting him. They don't know the Constitution properly or how to respect the national flag. Congress has given the national flag, Constitution and freedom; the BJP is only enjoying it,” he said.
Shivakumar's remarks came after the Karnataka Congress held an overnight protest in the assembly, demanding the resignation of Eshwarappa, the southern state's rural development and panchayat raj minister, over his comment from last week that ‘in future, the saffron flag would become the nation flag of India, and would be unfurled at the Red Fort.’
{{/usCountry}}Shivakumar's remarks came after the Karnataka Congress held an overnight protest in the assembly, demanding the resignation of Eshwarappa, the southern state's rural development and panchayat raj minister, over his comment from last week that ‘in future, the saffron flag would become the nation flag of India, and would be unfurled at the Red Fort.’
{{/usCountry}}Despite coming under fire from the opposition, the BJP leader said he won't budge.
Meanwhile, the ruling dispensation, led by chief minister Basavaraj Bommai, came out in Eshwarappa's defence, saying that not only has the minister ‘legally not committed any mistake,’ but has also clarified that what he actually said was that the saffron flag would be hoisted at the Red Fort not immediately, but in another 300 to 500 years.’