Karnataka Verdict Fallout: Amit Shah, Rahul Gandhi Trade Charge on 'Murdering Democracy'
In a rare post-midnight courtroom battle on Thursday, the Congress-JD(S) combine made a desperate legal push to stall the government formation. It must be noted that Yeddyurappa has 15 days to prove his majority in the Assembly. The BJP has 104 MLAs in the House, eight short of the magic figure of 112.
New Delhi, May 17: After the political row in Karnataka took the form of a constitutional battle in the national capital, the chiefs of the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) traded venomous barbs on social media. Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday took a jibe at the BJP over its "irrational insistence" to form a government in Karnataka.
The Congress President said BJP is 'making a mockery of our Constitution' by forming a government in Karnataka. Meanwhile, BJP President Amit Shah said the ‘Murder of Democracy’ happens the minute a desperate Congress made an ‘opportunist’ offer to the JD(S).
After an overnight high-voltage legal battle in the Supreme Court, BJP legislature party leader B S Yeddyurappa was on Thursday sworn in as the 23rd chief minister of Karnataka. In a rare post-midnight courtroom battle on Thursday, the Congress-JD(S) combine made a desperate legal push to stall the government formation. It must be noted that Yeddyurappa has 15 days to prove his majority in the Assembly. The BJP has 104 MLAs in the House, eight short of the magic figure of 112.
Rahul Gandhi hits out at the BJP
Over the sudden turn of events in Karnataka, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday tweeted saying, "The BJP's irrational insistence that it will form a Govt. in Karnataka, even though it clearly doesn't have the numbers, is to make a mockery of our Constitution”. Rahul said while the BJP celebrates its hollow victory, India will mourn the defeat of democracy.
Amit Shah Takes a Dig at Congress
Soon after Rahul Gandhi's tweet attacking the BJP over its recent win in Karnataka, BJP President Amit Shah veiled an attack on the Congress saying the ‘Murder of Democracy’ happens the minute a desperate Congress made an ‘opportunist’ offer to the JD(S). “The ‘Murder of Democracy’ happens the minute a desperate Congress made an ‘opportunist’ offer to the JD(S), not for Karnataka’s welfare but for their petty political gains. Shameful!”, Shah tweeted.
Shah further added saying that people are wise to realise which government to choose and said that President of the Congress (Rahul Gandhi) obviously doesn’t remember the glorious history of his party. “The legacy of Mr. Rahul Gandhi’s Party is the horrific Emergency, blatant misuse of Article 356, subverting the courts, media and civil society”, he said in his tweet.
Congress stages protest
Soon after the swearing in of B S Yeddyurappa as chief minister of Karnataka on Thursday morning, several Congress leaders staged a protest in front of the Gandhi statue next to the Vidhana Soudha, the state secretariat. The senior Congress leaders, including former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ashok Gehlot, Mallikarjuna Kharge, party's General Secretary in-charge of Karnataka K C Venugopal, sat at the foot of the statue, staging the protest.
SC agrees to hear Cong petition at midnight
The Congress had filed the petition late last night asking the Supreme Court to stop the swearing-in of BJP's Yeddyurappa as Karnataka Chief Minister. The Apex Court then agreed to hear at 1:45 am the petition challenging Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Valas decision to invite the BJP to form the government in the southern state.
It must be noted that the petition has sought a stay on the oath-taking ceremony, as communicated by the governor to the BJPs chief ministerial candidate. After the three an a half hour hearing that began at 2.11 AM, a three-judge bench, comprising Justices AK Sikri, SA Bobde and Ashok Bhushan, said, "As far as swearing-in is concerned, we are not restraining it, but we are making it subject to the outcome of the case".
The bench posted the matter for further hearing on Friday morning and ordered placing before it the letter of support from MLAs presented by the BJP to Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala while staking claim to form the government.
Hours after the Supreme Court refused to stay his swearing-in on Thursday, Yeddyurappa administered the oath alone at Raj Bhavan in Bengaluru. In a rare post-midnight courtroom battle, the Congress-JD(S) combine made a desperate legal push to stall the government formation.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 17, 2018 12:14 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).