BENGALURU: The joint session of the Karnataka Legislature witnessed dramatic scenes on Thursday as Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot refused to read the address prepared by the State Government, instead concluding his speech in just three sentences, lasting a minute, and walking out of the House amid protests and sloganeering by Congress legislators.
The Governor had raised objections to 11 paragraphs in the government-drafted address, particularly those criticising the BJP-ruled Union Government’s move to replace the former UPA government’s Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with its newly enacted Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Aajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G-RAM-G) Act.
On Wednesday evening, a delegation led by Law Minister HK Patil had held discussions with the Governor, but had refused to delete the contentious portions in the final speech copy, which included allegations that the VB-G-RAM-G scheme was designed to protect corporate capitalist interests at the cost of rural welfare.
It said MGNREGA, a nationally recognised programme and symbol of progress, has been pushed into oblivion, weakening Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of ‘Gram Swaraj’. It accused the Union government of dismantling decentralisation and imposing a centralised system, with decisions taken by a council of officials in Delhi.
It said the new law would revive distress migration, curtail employment rights of Dalits, Adivasis, women, backward classes and agrarian communities, and dilute worker-centric protection by placing labourers under contractors. The government demanded immediate repeal of the VB-G-RAM-G law and restoration of MGNREGA.
Governor Gehlot arrived at Vidhana Soudha at 11am and entered the Assembly with Speaker UT Khader, Council Chairman Basavaraj Horatti, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Law Minister HK Patil, while the customary police band played. After the national anthem, Governor Gehlot commenced his speech at 11.08am, addressing the Chairman, Speaker, CM and others in the joint House, saying: “I extend a warm welcome to all of you to the joint session of the state legislature.
I am extremely pleased to address the august House,” he said. And then, without reading any of the 120 points drafted by the state government, the governor read the last paragraph, saying his government (Union government) was firmly committed to doubling the pace of the state’s economic and social development, before concluding his address.
Gehlot is Centre’s puppet: CM
Many of the members, including the Chairman and Speaker, took a few seconds to realise that he had concluded his speech. While there was chaos in the House, especially among the treasury benches, the Governor calmly asked Council Chairman Horatti to leave the space before getting off the dais. His entire speech lasted just one minute.
As the Governor was walking out, ministers HK Patil and Priyank Kharge demanded that he complete the speech. Some Congress legislators, including MLC BK Hariprasad, attempted to block his way while raising slogans against him. The Governor’s security personnel and marshals intervened and escorted him out of the Assembly after Hariprasad was physically pushed aside to make way for Gehlot.
Incidentally, on Tuesday, the Tamil Nadu Assembly witnessed similar scenes as TN Governor RN Ravi staged a walkout without delivering the customary address prepared by the DMK-ruled Tamil Nadu government, to mark the first day of the session.
CM Siddaramaiah accused the Governor of insulting elected representatives and working as a “puppet” of the Centre. He said that by not reading the speech curated by the State Cabinet, the Governor had violated Constitutional law. “As per Articles 176 and 163 of the Indian Constitution, the Governor is bound to read out the address prepared by the State Cabinet and cannot deliver a speech drafted by the Governor himself. The Union Government has repealed the MGNREGA and enacted VB-G-RAM-G Act. Our government strongly opposes this move,” he said, adding that they planned to discuss filing a case in the Supreme Court.
Previously, former Karnataka governors Khurshed Alam Khan and HR Bharadwaj, too, had refused to read their speeches while addressing joint sessions of legislature.