Dismiss BJP govt, Cong urges Guv

With MLAs supporting KJP, government reduced to a minority

The State Congress on Saturday claimed that the State had plunged into a constitutional crisis and appealed  Governor H R Bhardwaj to invoke Article 356 of the Constitution, and dismiss the BJP government, immediately.

Congress leaders, including Siddaraiamaiah and G Parameshwara, presented a memorandum to the Governor and appealed to him not to give assent to the Prevention of Cow Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle (Amendment), 2012, Bill and the 13 private universities Bills which were passed in both the Houses during the Belgaum session.

Later addressing the media, Siddaramaiah said the BJP has been reduced to a minority and has lost legal and moral authority to govern the State.

“As many as 14 MLAs and six MLCs were seen with the KJP president B S Yeddyurappa during the Haveri convention, while more than six ministers participated in the breakfast meeting.

More than four legislators and two MPs have openly identified with B Sriramulu, founder president of BSR Congress. This amounts to the MLAs voluntarily forsaking their membership from the party they were elected, attracting the provisions of the anti defection law,” said Parameshwara.

He also said the legislations, passed in the absence of the opposition, were controversial. The private universities Bills do not provide for reservation to SC, ST and OBC students, and it reeked of “corruption”, he added.

The earlier legislation passed by the Karnataka legislature seeking to amend Prevention of Cow Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle (Amendment), 2012 Bill is yet to get the President assent, and yet the government passed the Bill hurriedly to woo the voters.

The legislation would bring in a rift between the majority and minority communities, he added.

When asked why his party did not move the no confidence motion against the government during the session, Siddaramaiah said his party did not have a majority and the JD(S) had openly stated that it had no intention to help Congress in this matter.

He said the government should order a CBI probe into the irregularities in the BDA and on the mining issue, the details of which were highlighted by the CAG in its recently published reports. In case the BJP government lacked faith in CBI, it should hand over the matter to the Lokayukta, he added.

Exuding confidence that his party would come to power next, the CLP leader said the Congress would win anywhere between 120 and 140 seats in the forthcoming Assembly elections.