The stalemate in the Legislative Assembly over Tuesday evening’s war of words between the former Speaker K.R. Ramesh Kumar and Medical Education Minister K. Sudhakar ended on Thursday with Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri dropping privilege motions after both the members expressed regret over their remarks.

Both Dr. Sudhakar and Mr. Ramesh Kumar said they would express regret in case they had breached privileges of members and the House during the debate on the Constitution of India.

Following the war of words on Tuesday, Dr. Sudhakar had sought to move a privilege motion against Mr. Ramesh Kumar and leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah had sought to move a similar motion against Dr. Sudhakar, while some BJP members had even sought suspension of Mr. Ramesh Kumar on Wednesday.

The former Speaker K.R. Ramesh Kumar speaking in the Legislative Assembly on Thursday  

As soon as the House met on Thursday, Mr. Siddaramaiah sought to move the motion against Dr. Sudhakar, claiming that the latter breached the privileges of Mr. Ramesh Kumar and the House by describing disqualification of 17 Congress and JD(S) legislators as a “conspiracy” hatched against them by the then Speaker (Mr. Ramesh Kumar) last year.

Mr. Siddaramaiah said the Supreme Court had partially upheld the order on disqualification passed by the then Speaker. “As the Speaker, Mr. Ramesh Kumar passed the order. Where is the conspiracy in it? Against whom the conspiracy was hatched?” the former Chief Minister asked, and urged Mr. Kageri to take action against Dr. Sudhakar for his remarks on the Supreme Court order and insulting the Speaker’s chair.

Dr. Sudhakar also sought to move the motion against Mr. Ramesh Kumar for allegedly using “unparliamentary words” against him when he was speaking on the Constitution and cutting short his speech.

Dr. Sudhakar, a three-time member, said he read out only the apex court’s judgment on the disqualification of 17 legislators and alleged that injustice had been meted out to them by partial and biased actions of the then Speaker.

In his spirited counter, Dr. Sudhakar read out some of the remarks made against disqualified legislators by Mr. Ramesh Kumar when he was the Speaker. Instead of being impartial, the Speaker was biased and disqualified them for the entire term of the Assembly, the Minister said.

“I have come here because of my hard work, though I do not not have any political dynasty. Hang me if I have crossed over to the BJP by taking money,” Dr. Sudhakar said, and expressed his regrets if he had breached privileges of the members of the House.

Mr. Ramesh Kumar said, “I standby every word I had uttered as the Speaker. I am not withdrawing it. I have not said any unparliamentary word to show disrespect to any member of the House.” There was no need for him to be in public life by telling lies. He, however, would not become a small person by expressing regret if any member got hurt by his remarks during the debate, Mr. Kumar said.

Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister J.C. Madhuswamy appealed to the Speaker to drop the two motions as both the members had expressed their regret over the developments. Immediately, Mr. Kageri said he had dropped the motions sought to be moved by both Mr. Siddaramaiah and Dr. Sudhakar.