Siddaramaiah and Shettar Top List for Expunged Assembly Words in Karnataka
Official records from the Karnataka legislative assembly reveal that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar of the BJP have had the highest number of words expunged from the assembly record over the past five terms, spanning from 2008 to 2023. The data highlights a significant trend in parliamentary decorum and the contentious nature of political discourse in the state.
Detailed Breakdown of Expunged Instances
According to the assembly secretariat, Jagadish Shettar, who now serves as a Member of Parliament, led with 23 instances where his remarks were struck off the official record. Siddaramaiah, who has held positions as both Chief Minister and opposition leader during this period, followed closely with 12 instances. This places them at the forefront of legislators whose words have been deemed inappropriate for permanent documentation.
The list continues with former speaker KG Bopaiah, who had 7 instances, and Congress legislator KM Shivalingegowda. Shivalingegowda notably drew attention in February for remarks that disrupted a session, and earlier in January, BJP's Sunil Kumar referenced a document detailing such deletions during a joint session, underscoring the ongoing relevance of this issue.
Context and Criteria for Expunging Remarks
A senior official from the assembly secretariat explained that there is "no strict definition" for what should be removed from the record. "Whether a remark is expunged depends on the words used and the context," the official stated. "For instance, if a legislator's name is mentioned in a positive context, no one asks for it to be expunged. But if it is used negatively, members raise objections. Sometimes, the unedited proceedings are not uploaded until the remarks are removed."
This lack of clear guidelines was highlighted last week when Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and BJP's Munirathna exchanged expletives, which were later expunged by Speaker UT Khader. Khader described the incident as "a black day" in the history of the assembly, emphasizing the severity of such breaches in conduct.
Historical Trends and Peak Periods
The highest number of deletions occurred between 2013 and 2018, largely during the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government, with 118 instances recorded. This marked a staggering 257% increase from the 33 cases between 2008 and 2012. Following this peak, there was a 79% decline to 25 instances in the 2018–23 term.
During the 2013–18 period, Shettar, then serving as opposition leader, had remarks expunged 22 times, while Siddaramaiah featured nine times. Notable spikes included:
- 2015: References to national figures Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi, along with allegations against them, were removed.
- 2016: Mentions of "tampering of evidence" were expunged.
- 2018: Repeated use of the term "rowdy" was struck off.
Other Key Legislators Over the Years
In the earlier term from 2008 to 2012, HC Balakrishna, then with the BJP, and Congress' Mallikarjun Kharge led with three and two instances, respectively. More recently, from 2019 to 2023, Congress' UT Khader and Shivalingegowda were the most frequently featured in expunged remarks, indicating a shift in the focus of contentious debates.
This analysis underscores the volatile nature of political dialogue in Karnataka's assembly, with expunged remarks serving as a barometer for heated exchanges and the ongoing challenges in maintaining parliamentary decorum. The data not only reflects individual conduct but also broader political tensions across different administrations.
