Belagavi (Karnataka): Despite opposition from the Congress party portrait of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar was unveiled in the Assembly hall of Suvarna Soudha. The first day of the winter session of the Assembly began on Monday at the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi. Chief Minister Basavaraja Bommai unveiled the portraits at Suvarna Soudha in Belagavi, along with Speaker Vishweshwar Hegade Kageri. Ministers such as JC Madhuswamy, Govinda Karajola, CC Patil, Kota Srinivasa Pujari, Narayana Gowda, Bhairati Basavaraj, Prabhu Chauhan and others were present.
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Before the commencement of the programme, the portraits of prominent personalities were unveiled. The opposition MLAs were not present at the event. Only ministers and BJP MLAs were present during the unveiling of the portraits. Photographs of seven gentlemen were unveiled behind the Speaker's chair. Photos of Mahatma Gandhi, Basavanna, Subhash Chandra Bose, Dr BR Ambedkar, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Veer Savarkar and Vivekananda are placed in the hall of Suvarna Soudha. No photo of Jawaharlal Nehru was placed in Suvarna Soudha Hall, which angered the Congress leaders.
Congress MLAs led by Karnataka Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah staged a protest outside the Assembly after VD Savarkar's portrait was unveiled inside Karnataka Assembly Hall on Monday. Opposition leaders, including former chief minister and the current Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah were among those who staged a demonstration and squatted outside the assembly on the steps of the House to protest the ruling Basavaraj Bommai government's decision to unveil a portrait of Veer Savarkar in the Assembly. Siddaramaiah in a letter to the Speaker requested to put the portraits of Valmiki, Basavanna, Kanaka Dasa, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and others.
