Cong dubs BJP govt in Karnataka as illegal

A day after Karnataka Governor H R Bhardwaj's recommendation for imposition of the President's Rule in the state, Congress on Monday dubbed the BJP dispensation there as illegal and "based on a manufactured majority".

A day after Karnataka governor H R Bhardwaj's recommendation for imposition of the President's Rule in the state, Congress on Monday dubbed the BJP dispensation there as illegal and "based on a manufactured majority".

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"Do they have moral right to continue even for a single moment after the very pungent observations from the Supreme Court," Congress spokesman Manish Tewari told reporters in reply to a volley of questions on the political developments in Karnataka.

Quoting some of the strictures by the apex court, Tewari insisted that "after October 11, 2010, it is an illegal government in Karnataka based on a manufactured majority through abuse of the Constitutional office".

Asked whether the Congress was for imposition of President's Rule and whether it favoured a floor test to judge the majority of chief minister B S Yeddyurappa, Tewari's refrain was, "What has to be done has to be decided by the central government."

When told that the Karnataka unit of Congress was for imposition of President's Rule, he said "in our system, there is autonomy and flexibility" to state units to articulate their views.

The Congress leader said the apex court had observed that there was no compulsion on the Speaker to decide on the disqualification petitions filed by the chief minister.

The court had also spoken of "fine art of conjuring majority" by the chief minister and the Speaker, he added.

Taking a dig at the BJP, the Congress spokesman wondered whether does it behove the party to tomtom about morality.

Asked as to why the Congress was not demanding the resignation of Yeddyurappa, he said such demands are made when there is at least an iota of morality and those concerned heed to the strictures of the apex court.