BJP’s BY Vijayendra accuses Congress govt of misusing Governor’s address, undermining federalism

BENGALURU: Karnataka BJP chief BY Vijayendra on Wednesday demanded that the Congress government led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah conduct the sessions of both houses of the legislature in the spirit of healthy democracy and a positive federal system, without including content against the Central government in the Governor’s address.

Vijayendra said the Governor has not opposed the address itself, but has objected to the inclusion of false and misleading information and the use of common people for propaganda against the Centre. This comes in the wake of the Karnataka governor’s refusal to address the joint special session of the assembly.

He alleged that the state government has consistently spread misinformation about Central government schemes, and that it is unfortunate that a constitutional authority like the Governor is being drawn into such political propaganda, which he termed unconstitutional.

Welcoming the Governor’s stand that he would not read any statement that could harm the unity and integrity of the country, Vijayendra said such clarity was necessary and accused the Congress government of indulging in politics of hatred rather than focusing on development. He added that the state government should correct its conduct in light of the Governor’s decision.

The BJP leader further alleged that the Congress, despite claiming to be a strong proponent of federalism, is misusing the Legislative Assembly to create hostility against the Central government, which he said amounts to a disservice to the Constitution and democracy. He accused the Congress government of betraying the people of Karnataka by adopting an adversarial approach towards the Centre and repeatedly passing resolutions against the NDA government.

Vijayendra claimed that over the last 32 months, the Congress government has failed to safeguard the state’s interests and has passed resolutions against the Central government five times during eight Assembly sessions, thereby weakening the federal structure. He also criticised the government’s financial management, alleging that excessive focus on guarantee schemes has hampered development, weakened the state’s finances, and pushed the treasury towards a potential crisis.

He further accused the Congress of making baseless allegations against the Centre to divert attention from its failures and of attempting to create unrest by convening special Assembly sessions to target Central schemes.

While acknowledging that the Congress won a majority in the last Assembly elections, Vijayendra reminded the party that the BJP-led NDA secured 19 seats in Karnataka in the subsequent Lok Sabha polls. He cautioned the Congress government against treating its Assembly majority as a license to govern arbitrarily. (ANI)