Karnataka Governor thaawarchand gehlot, state assembly speaker ut khader and speaker of the state legislature basalanj horatti standing during a joint session of the state legislature at Vidhana Sohu in Bengarur on January 22, 2026. | Photo credit: pti
1. Karnataka Governor walks out of joint session of legislature after two-line speech, CM Siddaramaiah calls him ‘Centre’s puppet’
Pandemonium erupted inside the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on 22 January when Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot walked out after delivering a short two-line speech on the first day of the joint session, which began on 22 January 2026. The Governor expressed reservations over 11 paragraphs in the speech prepared by the Congress for strongly criticizing the Congress government in Karnataka. VB-G RAM G Act.
Reacting shortly after the Governor’s exit, CM Siddaramaiah condemned the action as a “violation of the Constitution”. “The governor acted like a puppet of the central government. To cover up their mistakes, the central government made the governor read a speech prepared by them. This is a violation of the constitution,” he said.
Mr. Gehlot took the stage and began his speech with the usual greeting. He then read the last line of his speech. “My government is determined to double the speed of economic and social progress in the state. Jai Hind, Jai Karnataka,” the governor said before adjourning and leaving the House.
2. BJP demands action against Congress MLAs amid scenes after Karnataka Governor’s speech in House of Representatives
The BJP termed the disruption during Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot’s exit after his brief address to the joint session as “one of the darkest days” in the history of the House and sought disciplinary action against Congress members for alleged obstruction as he left.
In a letter to Speaker UT Khader, Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R. Ashoka said the Governor had fulfilled his constitutional duty and accused the Congress legislators of behaving “like street rioters”, violating legislative conventions and showing “disrespect to the Constitution, the Governor and the House”.
He alleged that Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister HK Patil led the protests and “set a bad precedent”, and questioned his tenure in office. He also criticized Congress MLC BK Hariprasad for obstructing Mr Gehlot’s path when he tried to leave.
3. Bengaluru airport ground staff arrested for sexually harassing a Korean businesswoman
Bengaluru police have arrested Mohammed Affaan Ahmed, a 25-year-old ground staff member at the Kempegowda International Airport, for allegedly sexually harassing a Korean businesswoman on the pretext of “manual search”. The defendant has worked at KIA for the past year and a half. A Bengaluru court sent Ahmed to judicial custody.
On January 19, the victim was returning to Korea. As she was about to board, Ahmed stopped her in the departure area of Terminal 2, claiming there was a problem with her luggage. He told her she needed to be examined again, took her to the men’s room and touched her inappropriately. He reportedly left after saying “thank you”.
4. A hospital in Bengaluru performs a combined robotic heart bypass and prostate cancer surgery in a single session
Fortis Hospital, Bengaluru (Bannerghatta Road) performed a combined robot-assisted minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass graft (MIDCAB) and robotic radical prostatectomy in a single operative session.
This multidisciplinary intervention was performed on a 56-year-old US-based NRI who was diagnosed with coronary artery disease and prostate cancer at the same time—two serious conditions that traditionally require separate major surgeries.
Published – 22 Jan 2026 18:29 IST
