Karnataka Assembly Speaker Refuses To Continue As Ministers Absent; Drama Ends After CM’s Assurance

Last Updated:March 16, 2026, 16:11 IST

R Ashok expressed strong dissatisfaction with the functioning of the government and said the developments in the House reflected an unprecedented situation

Unprecedented scenes unfolded in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Monday as Speaker UT Khader refused to continue presiding over the House, expressing strong displeasure over the absence of Congress ministers and MLAs during the proceedings.

The issue was eventually resolved after CM Siddaramaiah’s assurance, Khader told CNN-News18.

What happened?

An upset Khader abruptly adjourned the session without announcing when the House would reconvene. He said he would not chair the proceedings until the issue of attendance, both of ministers and legislators, is addressed.

The Speaker’s anger stemmed from the absence of several ministers and officials who were expected to be present to respond to written questions raised by MLAs. With ministers missing from the House, several members said their questions were left unanswered, triggering outrage from the Opposition as well.

The incident occurred while written replies to 84 of the 230 listed questions were being tabled in the House. The Opposition strongly criticised the government, alleging that ministers had been failing to provide the expected replies since the beginning of the session.

Leader of Opposition R Ashok said the attendance in the Assembly was extremely poor, claiming that barely 15 per cent of members were present in the House. He pointed out that this was the fourth time the issue had been raised, expressing frustration over what he described as the lack of seriousness shown by ministers and legislators.

Khader, clearly annoyed, reminded the House that the Assembly session is meant to address the concerns of constituencies and that ministers are expected to be present to respond to questions from MLAs.

“We hold this House to discuss the problems of constituencies. The session is meant for ministers to answer questions. If questions are asked and there is no answer, how can this continue?" the Speaker said in the House.

He also pointed out that legislators are expected to meet during sessions held every few months and stressed that the proceedings must be treated with seriousness.

Khader adjourned the House, stating that he would not conduct the session until the matter of absenteeism is addressed and the government responds to the concerns raised. In a rare moment in the Assembly, the Speaker walked away from the Chair in frustration, leaving the House adjourned without specifying the time for the next sitting.

What Khader told News18

“CM has assured me this will not be repeated again. Action will be taken against those secretaries who have caused delay in answering questions. The chief secretary has been asked to look into the matter and take action. Assurance has been given that ministers will be present to answer the questions.

“For the past 4-5 days, I have issued warnings. I held a meeting with the chief secretary, government and Leader of Opposition and it was communicated that if a question remains unanswered a definitive timeframe for the reply and reason for delay should be mentioned," said Khader

R Ashok raises questions

Speaking to the media after the adjournment, R Ashok expressed strong dissatisfaction with the functioning of the government and said the developments in the House reflected an unprecedented situation.

“What we saw in the Assembly today reflects a helplessness that has never been seen before. The Speaker himself had to abandon the Assembly," Ashok said.

He pointed out that between 200 and 250 questions are listed every day to be answered in writing during the session, but only a fraction of them actually receive responses.

“Every day, only 10 per cent, 20 per cent, or at best 30 per cent of the questions are being answered," he said.

Ashok said Assembly sessions are held so that MLAs from different taluks can raise issues concerning their constituencies and seek solutions from the government.

“The session is held because MLAs from their respective taluks ask questions to get solutions for the problems of their taluks. The Assembly runs because of these questions," he said.

Criticising the government’s functioning, Ashok alleged that there was no direction in the administration.

“Today there is no direction at all. Governance is dead. There are no answers to any questions," he said.

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