After Centre’s 'Red’ Signal, Governor Relents: Session on June 2
From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, May 23: Finally, curtains have come down on the ugly confrontation between Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa and Governor H R Bhardwaj following Centre’s rejection of the recommendation for imposition of President’s rule in the State and dismissal of the BJP ministry and Raj Bhavan has communicated its acceptance of the state cabinet’s request for summoning the legislature session from June 2.
Though the Governor agreed to convene the 10-day session of both houses of state legislature from June 2 as requested by the state cabinet, the ruling party refused to give up its demand for recall of Bhardwaj. ''He should honourably quit on his own. We are not going to call off our agitation,” declared Yeddyurappa.
Despite profusely complimenting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister P Chidambaram for rejecting the Governor’s report and upholding the sanctity of the constitution, Yeddyurappa said he would not accept Chidamabarm’s defense of Bhardwaj. ''It is evident that the Governor has a one point agenda of destabilizing a democratically elected BJP Government from the day he assumed office. He has allowed himself to be pressurized by Congress and JD(S) leaders while not showing the minimum courtesy or following constitutional niceties in his dealings with the Government,” he said.
The Chief Minister, who flew back to Bangalore from Delhi along with State BJP President K S Eshwarappa and other party leaders, received a rousing hero’s welcome at the Bangalore International Airport. Huge crowds of people, led by ministers, MLAs and other party workers thronged the airport.
''This is a victory for the people and democracy,” he said thanking the Centre for upholding constitutional norms and respecting the clear majority enjoyed by the BJP regime in the State.
Earlier in the day, when the Government received Raj Bhavan’s communication accepting the state cabinet’s recommendation for convening the legislature session from June 2, several ministers, legislators and party workers gathered at the state party office by bursting fire-crackers, shouting slogans and distributing sweets hailing the ''victory.”
Bhardwaj, had sought the state government’s dismissal by sending a special report to the Centre on May 15, contending that the Chief Minister and Speaker K G Bopaiah had ''colluded” to ''destroy the character and composition of the assembly” ahead of a trust vote October 11 last year by disqualifying 16 MLAs without following due process of law after the Supreme Court’s May 13 verdict restoring the membership of 11 BJP rebels and 5 Independent MLAs.
The Chief Minister is expected to return to Delhi soon and meet the Prime Minister and other Central leaders along with the BJP high command to press for the recall of the Governor.