Congress on Monday said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is running an illegal government in Karnataka.
“The BJP is running an illegal government. The BJP is ruling by trickery, that is the basic DNA code of the BJP,” Congress spokesperson Manish Tiwari said amid a raging debate over the Governor’s action in demanding President’s rule in Karnataka.
He questioned the haste in which the Karnataka speaker had disqualified the MLAs in the state last year.
He said the BJP is ruling by manufactured majority.
Congress also highlighted the strictures of the Supreme Court against the Speaker’s action in Karnataka and read out from the verdict which had revoked the disqualification of the rebel MLAs by the speaker of Karnataka assembly paving Yeddyurappa to win a trust vote in October..
Congress, however, did not comment on its views on President’s rule in Karnataka.
Earlier the battle of Karnataka between governor H R Bhardwaj and the B S Yeddyurappa government was taken up by the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) as the stalwarts of the saffron party announced to move to the President.
The NDA is planning to meet the President of India and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and demand removal of the Governor who advised President’s rule amid a volte face by the rebels MLAs who chose to support the BJP government led by Yeddyurappa, against whom they had earlier protested.
The BJP said it will parade all its MLAs before the President.
“We have sought time from the PM. The governor of Karnataka is indulging in unconstitutional acts. We have asked all MLAs supporting the BJP in Karnataka to come to Delhi and present themselves before the President,” said BJP leader Arun Jaitley.
“Our government is safe and stable. What is going on is a tamasha, a madness,” said BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu.
Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa earlier in the morning convened an urgent legislature party meeting of the BJP.
The BJP MLAs also marched through the streets of Bangalore and gathered before the statue of Mahatma Gandhi demanding recall of the governor. Later the Chief Minister left for Delhi with all his MLAs.
The governor has recommended President?s rule citing a constitutional breakdown in the state and submitting a report to the Congress-led Centre against the BJP government.
Sixteen MLAs, who had rebelled against Yeddyurappa, on Sunday once again threw their weight behind the chief minister after the BJP pacified the legislators reportedly promising ministerial posts and other perks.
At least eleven of them- all BJP- have given their pledge in writing.
Bhardwaj alleged breakdown of constitutional machinery in Karnataka and accused Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa and Speaker K G Bopaiah of misusing the constitutional provisions to win trust vote in October last year.