BJP running minority government in Karnataka, says Congress
May 14th, 2011 - 8:45 pm ICT by IANS
New Delhi, May 14 (IANS) The Congress Saturday charged the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with running a “minority government with manufactured majority” in Karnataka after the apex court in a ruling restored the membership of 16 disqualified state legislators.
“The BJP has been running a minority government in Karnataka, which was converted into a manufactured majority. It has been completely squarely quashed by the court,” Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari told reporters here.
The Supreme Court order could threaten continuation of B.S. Yeddyurappa as chief minister of the state.
Tewari said: “Everything that the BJP is doing in Karnataka is absolutely rotten. Whether it involves the subversion of the constitution, whether it involves the communalization of Karnataka, and whether it involves the plunder of natural resources.”
On what would be Congress strategy, he said: “..to expect any morality out of the BJP would be unnecessarily burdening your mind. So, therefore, while the sanctity of the constitution needs to be upheld at all costs, what would be the further strategy would be elaborated after the due process of consultation is over.”
“So, therefore, there is nothing or no area in Karnataka which has been untouched by the BJP’s greed,” he said adding that the judgment had “larger implications” which needed to be studied and an “appropriate strategy put in place”.
The 16 lawmakers, 11 of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and five Independents, were disqualified Oct 11, hours before Yeddyurappa was to seek confidence vote in the assembly following their withdrawal of support to him.
The legislators were disqualified by Speaker K.G. Bopaiah Oct 10, 2010, a day before the trial of strength of the government Oct 11.
The apex court bench of Justice Altamas Kabir and Justice Cyriac Joseph said in their judgment: “It is hard to explain the speaker’s decision (disqualifying the 16 legislators) and he has acted only on extraneous considerations.”
Speaking for the bench, Justice Kabir said that the speaker has acted in a partisan way and ignored the constitution.
- Speaker acted in haste on 16 Karnataka legislators: Apex court - Jan 25, 2012
- Speaker acted in haste on 16 Karnataka legislators: Apex court (Lead) - Jan 25, 2012
- Apex court restores membership of 16 Karnataka legislators - May 13, 2011
- Yeddyurappa rules out changing Karnataka assembly speaker - May 18, 2011
- Karnataka speaker colluded with CM: Governor (Lead) - May 17, 2011
- Supreme Court issues notice to Yeddyurappa - Nov 30, 2010
- Bhardwaj explains why he recommended president's rule - May 17, 2011
- Congress shies from demanding Karnataka government's sack - May 16, 2011
- Congress, JD-S seek Yeddyurappa's ouster; BJP woos rebels (Roundup) - May 14, 2011
- BJP hails, Congress downplays Karnataka verdict - Oct 29, 2010
- Yeddyurappa safe as court upholds rebels' disqualification (Roundup) - Oct 29, 2010
- Congress demands Yeddyurappa's ouster; governor meets PM (Lead) - May 14, 2011
- Court upholds 11 Karnataka BJP legislators' disqualification (Second Lead) - Oct 29, 2010
- Congress welcomes Supreme Court decision on Karnataka - May 14, 2011
- Karnataka Congress, JD-S threaten to boycott trust vote - Oct 13, 2010
Tags: apex, apex court, bharatiya janata party, chief minister, confidence vote, court bench, due process, greed, independents, kabir, karnataka, manish, minority government, oct 11, plunder, sanctity, spokesperson, state legislators, subversion, tewari