Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala administers oath to BJP leader B. S. Yeddyurappa as Chief Minister of the state at a ceremony in Bengaluru on Thursday.
No sooner had BJP leader B S Yeddyurappa taken oath as the new Karnataka chief minister that the Congress termed the former’s swearing-in as ‘farcical’ and said that the saffron party’s “irrational insistence” on forming government in the southern state when it does not have the numbers made a “mockery of the Constitution.”
While Congress president Rahul Gandhi said India mourns the defeat of democracy, the party's communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala described the events in Karnataka as a "black spot" on the country's democracy that will be erased.
Addressing public in Chhattisgarh Raipur, Rahul Gandhi said, “RSS is making way into all institutions in the country. Such things happen either in Pakistan or in dictatorship”.
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“Today constitution is being attacked. In Karnataka on one side there are MLAs standing and on the other side the Governor. JDS has said its MLAs have been offered Rs 100 crore each,” he added.
Referring the press conference called earlier by Supreme Court judges on various issues relating to the apex court judiciary, Gandhi said, "The judiciary is under fear, the press is under fear and even the BJP's Members of Parliament are under the same fear as they cannot speak a single word before the prime minister (Narendra Modi)."
Earlier, Rahul in his tweet, said, “he 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. This morning, while the BJP celebrates its hollow victory, India will mourn the defeat of democracy.”
His colleague Surjewala said the Raj Bhawan has been converted into the BJP office.
"A farcical Oath of CM's post, A fraud being played on majority,
"A treachery with Constitution, A deception with democracy,
"That is Governor Karnataka illegally swearing in #BSYeddyurappa-turning the Raj Bhavan into BJP Office.
"This Black Spot on India's democracy will be erased," he said on Twitter.
Hitting back at Rahul Gandhi, BJP President Amit Shah said that termed the Congress-JD(S) alliance as an ‘opportunist’ offer by the Grand Old Party, and termed the hurriedly-stitched alliance as ‘murder of democracy’.
"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!"
"Who has the people’s mandate in Karnataka? The BJP, which has won 104 seats Or Congress which dropped to 78 seats, whose own CM and Ministers lost by big margins. JD(S) who won only 37 seats and lost their deposits on several others. People are wise to realise."
"President of the Congress 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," said Amit Shah, in a series of tweets.
Meanwhile, newly sworn in Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa today said he was "100 per cent sure" of winning the vote of confidence in the assembly and completing the five-year term.
He slammed the Congress-JDS alliance as "unholy" and charged they were out to grab power though the people had "rejected them outright".
"I am sure of winning the vote of confidence and my government completing five years," said Yeddyurappa
The apex court, which commenced the unusual hearing at 2.11 am and ended at 5.28 am, has made it clear that the swearing-in and the government formation in the state would be subject to the final outcome of the case before it.
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. The Congress and the JD(S), which have announced a post-poll tie-up, have won 78 and 37 seats respectively.
