<p>Speaker UT Khader on Wednesday dropped broad hints that he would not take a call on removing Hindu nationalist Vinayak Damodar Savarkar’s portrait inside the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha Assembly.</p>.<p>At a news conference, Khader described himself as a “forward-looking man”. He said he does not wish to dwell deep in the past and that he wants to conduct “smooth business” in the House. </p>.<p>In December last year, the previous BJP government had unveiled seven life-size portraits at the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha including Swami Vivekananda, Subhash Chandra Bose, B R Ambedkar, Basavanna, Mahatma Gandhi, Vallabhbhai Patel and Savarkar. Congress had staged a protest at the time. </p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/state/mangaluru/mangaluru-church-felicitates-karnataka-speaker-u-t-khader-1224826.html" target="_blank">Mangaluru church felicitates Karnataka Speaker U T Khader</a></strong></p>.<p>Khader told reporters that the House has plenty of issues to discuss, especially people’s problems. “My primary goal is to ensure smooth business as long as I am the Speaker. I have to be bipartisan. I may have an ideology to follow, but it should not come in a way of discharging duties as Speaker,” he said.</p>.<p>Responding to a question, Khader stressed that the issue of replacing or installing portraits has not arisen. "So, there is no need to debate on this topic," he said. “I am a forward-looking, forward-moving person. There's no point in dwelling deep in the past. Events from the past should not be the only guiding light for people like us,” he said. </p>.<p>He further asked: “Will an issue like changing a portrait fill the belly of the poor? Will it help eliminate poverty? Create employment opportunities?</p>.<p>The Assembly is meant to ponder over problems people face, Khader insisted. "I am interested in making the House deliberate on such issues at length besides holding sessions for 60 days a year as stipulated by our own laws,” he said. </p>
<p>Speaker UT Khader on Wednesday dropped broad hints that he would not take a call on removing Hindu nationalist Vinayak Damodar Savarkar’s portrait inside the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha Assembly.</p>.<p>At a news conference, Khader described himself as a “forward-looking man”. He said he does not wish to dwell deep in the past and that he wants to conduct “smooth business” in the House. </p>.<p>In December last year, the previous BJP government had unveiled seven life-size portraits at the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha including Swami Vivekananda, Subhash Chandra Bose, B R Ambedkar, Basavanna, Mahatma Gandhi, Vallabhbhai Patel and Savarkar. Congress had staged a protest at the time. </p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/state/mangaluru/mangaluru-church-felicitates-karnataka-speaker-u-t-khader-1224826.html" target="_blank">Mangaluru church felicitates Karnataka Speaker U T Khader</a></strong></p>.<p>Khader told reporters that the House has plenty of issues to discuss, especially people’s problems. “My primary goal is to ensure smooth business as long as I am the Speaker. I have to be bipartisan. I may have an ideology to follow, but it should not come in a way of discharging duties as Speaker,” he said.</p>.<p>Responding to a question, Khader stressed that the issue of replacing or installing portraits has not arisen. "So, there is no need to debate on this topic," he said. “I am a forward-looking, forward-moving person. There's no point in dwelling deep in the past. Events from the past should not be the only guiding light for people like us,” he said. </p>.<p>He further asked: “Will an issue like changing a portrait fill the belly of the poor? Will it help eliminate poverty? Create employment opportunities?</p>.<p>The Assembly is meant to ponder over problems people face, Khader insisted. "I am interested in making the House deliberate on such issues at length besides holding sessions for 60 days a year as stipulated by our own laws,” he said. </p>