Cong and Government comes to the defence of H R Bhardwaj

"What immoral act that the Governor has done that he should resign? The Governor has given his report to the Centre as per his Constitutional responsibility. There is no question of recalling the Governor also. He has only fulfilled his Constitutional responsibility," party spokesperson Manish Tewari said.

He was replying to questions on whether Bhardwaj should resign on moral grounds or he should be recalled after the Central government rejected his report on Karnataka.

Tewari's comments at the AICC briefing came close on the heels of Home Minister P Chidambaram ruling out his recall and maintaining that he has only done his duty.
"There is no question of recalling the Governor... Governor performed his duty and we took our decision," the Home Minister said.

The Congress' defence of the Governor has come at a time when Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa has upped the ante for Bhardwaj's recall.

Tewari said that the sequence that unfolded over the Karnataka issue underscored that "UPA government does not believe in a command performance" and contrasted it with the role of other parties who "misused" the office of the Governor in many cases in past.

Tewari said there was "no contradiction" in the Governor's report and the Centre's action adding that such views are based the erroneous premise that the Governor sends his report to the Centre when the Central government asks him to act in a particular manner.

He added but the "Governor has the mandate to send a report apprising the Centre in his wisdom of his concerns and the Centre also has a right to take a decision with its wisdom."

On the specific issue of Karnataka, he said, "even today we are of the opinion that the BJP government in the state is neckdeep in corruption and involved in illegal mining and is not worth being called a responsible government from any standards."

Tewari also rejected contentions that it was a moral victory for BJP and asked it to "desist from spreading rumours" and instead and answer to the cases of allegations surrounding its governments in various states."

"A government which has been illegally running for six months and now tries to legitimise its continuance through defections yet again, a government, which has run the entire spectrum of immmorality cannot claim moral victory," he added.

Explaining the Centre's decision for not accepting the recommendation for imposing President's Rule in the state, Tewari cited the past judgements of the Supreme Court on the issue.

"Many parameters for imposing Article 356 in a state have been laid by these judgements. Hence when the Governor sent the report, the Centre arrived at the conclusion that those parameters are yet to be fulfilled. But the government has expressed its concern by sending an advisory to the state government," the Congress spokesperson said.