Governor recommends President's rule in Karnataka - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

Karnataka Governor H R Bhardwaj on Monday sent a report to the Centre after Bharatiya Janata Party Government, led by BS Yeddyurappa, won the trust motion by voice vote amidst chaotic scenes in the State Assembly. The Governor has recommended imposition of President's rule in the State following the unconstitutional manner in which the confidence motion was put to vote, media reports stated Raj Bhavan sources as saying. Earlier, a one-line motion moved by Yeddyurappa was passed, even as the House witnessed unprecedented scenes with the opposition Congress and the JD(S) refusing to accept the outcome. The Speaker KG Bopaiah promptly adjourned the House sine die. The agitated opposition members strongly objected to the presence of policemen inside the House. The City Police Commissioner Shanka Bidari justified the same as being done on the instructions from the Speaker. In a day of fast changing developments, before the trust vote, the Speaker disqualified 16 rebel MLAs, including 11 from BJP under the provision of the anti-defection law. With this the strength in the 224-member Assembly came down to 208 and 105 became the magic figure to sail through the motion. Despite being barred by the Speaker from entering the House, the disqualified MLAs forcibly entered the lounges of the Assembly, foiling police attempts to block them. Later, they moved the Karnataka High Court challenging their disqualification and sought a stay on the Speaker's order. The Court has adjourned till tomorrow the hearing on the petition. Reacting to the developments, Congress today slammed the way the BJP government in Karnataka won the trust vote. Describing the win in the trust vote today in the Assembly, as murder of democracy, Congress Party spokesperson Manish Tiwari alleged that the entire process violated the spirit of the Indian Constitution. Congress ally JD(S) has demanded immediate dismissal of Yeddyurappa government. The CPI (M) condemned the legislative proceedings as unconstitutional and undemocratic. Quoting the Supreme Court judgement in the Bommai case, the CPI (M) Politburo said, a government has to prove its majority on the floor of the House to continue in office. The BJP President Nitin Gadkari, on the other hand, accused the Congress and JD(S) of destabilising the government in Karnataka through pressurising the MLAs and using money power. He said in spite of all this, the Yedyurappa government has won the vote of confidence.