Yeddyurappa invited to form government, Congress calls Governor BJP 'stooge'

Yeddyurappa

As Karnataka Governor Vajubhai R. Vala on Wednesday invited BJP legislature party leader B.S. Yeddyurappa to form the new government in the state, the Congress said the Governor denigrated his office by acting as a "BJP stooge".

The Governor has no moral and constitutional right to hold the office even for a day for shaming his office, the party said, adding that an "illegitimate and immoral government" will be taking oath under B.S. Yeddyurappa.

The party said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah have sanctioned "encounter of the Constitution, law and all precedents at the hands of Governor of Karnataka".

"Vajubhai Vala denigrated the Governor's office, trampled upon the Constitution, abused the law and acted as a BJP puppet. He chose to serve his masters in the BJP rather than serve the Constitution," tweeted Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala.

"The action of Karnataka Governor, who acts as a stooge of BJP taking orders from BJP headquarters, Prime Minister and BJP President rather than the Constitution of India, is immoral, illegal and unconstitutional," said Surjewala.

"The Governor has failed utterly to discharge his duties as the custodian of the Constitution."

The BJP has launched "Operation Lotus" from the Raj Bhavan by thrashing India's Constitution and murdering democracy, he said.

"It is a black letter day for India's constitutional norms and democracy."

He said the letter of the Governor clearly established that even he does not believe that Yeddyurappa and the BJP have majority.

"We want to ask Shah and Modi if the post-poll alliance with majority doesn't have the right to form the government, then why did they form the government in Goa, with less MLAs than the Congress?

"If two parties can't form the government in post-poll alliance, then how did they form a government in Meghalaya and Manipur?" he added.

He said the Governor has no discretion or power but to invite the post-poll coalition with clear majority to form the government, citing Supreme Court judgments in the Rameshwar Prasad case and the Goa case.

But, the lust for power supersedes the Constitution, he said mockingly.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates