Bengaluru, Feb 4 (NationPress) The Chairman of the Legislative Council, Basavaraj Horatti, made a pointed remark on Wednesday, urging Congress MLC Naseer Ahmad, who serves as the political secretary to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, to learn to communicate respectfully.

This incident unfolded as Congress members were vociferously demanding an apology from BJP MLC C.T. Ravi regarding his contentious “Pakistani tongue” comment.

In the midst of the uproar, Congress MLC Naseer Ahmad insisted that the Chairman take measures against Ravi and advocated for his expulsion from the House, alleging “match-fixing”.

This provoked Chairman Horatti, who admonished Naseer Ahmad to mind his language. “Do not make remarks at your whims and fancies. This serves as a warning to you, Naseer. You have previously spoken without restraint in this House. Do not act smart. You have disrupted the entire proceedings. Sit quietly,” Horatti asserted.

“I will instruct the floor leader to ensure he remains quiet,” the Chairman continued.

At this juncture, the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, questioned how Naseer Ahmad could claim “match-fixing” and direct such comments towards the Chair.

Chairman Horatti reiterated, “Floor leader, communicate this to Naseer Ahmad. If not, I will have to take severe action against him. He must be cautious with his words. Otherwise, we may have to “snatch it away.”

Naseer Ahmad responded by questioning the Chairman about his statement. “I merely asked BJP MLC Ravikumar if there was match-fixing. They should call Ravi to the House,” he clarified.

Horatti, visibly irritated, stated that Naseer Ahmad would face expulsion from the House if he persisted in this manner. “Floor leader, this is not appropriate. He is addressing me. He indicated match-fixing towards me,” the Chairman remarked.

Senior Congress MLC B.K. Hariprasad intervened, asserting, “Mr Chairman, Naseer Ahmad did not direct any comments towards you. His match-fixing remark was aimed at BJP members, not the Chair.”

Chairman Horatti retorted, “Mr Hariprasad, when I was conveying a message to BJP members, he called out to me, made a match-fixing gesture, and inquired about match-fixing. He addressed me first before speaking to the opposition.”

Naseer Ahmad countered, expressing his understanding of how to respect the Chair. “Don’t we know how to respect the Chair?” he questioned.

Turning to Naseer Ahmad, Chairman Horatti stated, “First learn to behave respectfully.” Following this, Naseer Ahmad complied and sat down as senior Congress leaders advised him to refrain from further comments.

Previously, the controversy surrounding BJP MLC C.T. Ravi’s “Pakistani tongue” comment persisted on Wednesday, causing disruptions in the Legislative Council as Congress members continued to demand an apology from Ravi. As Ravi was absent from the House, Chairman Basavaraj Horatti declared that proceedings would persist until Ravi’s arrival.