Bengaluru, May 28 (Agencies): The BJP on Monday termed as "absolutely demeaning" the remarks of Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy that he was at mercy of Congress and not of the state's 6.5 crore people, saying he has become "chief manager of the Congress' ATM machine" in the state.
Talking to media persons here, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said Kumaraswamy's remarks were akin to abusing democracy.
"This is absolutely demeaning to the democratic fabric of the country. This is the fallout when you play with the mandate of the people for your petty political reasons. The kind of statement that Kumaraswamy has made is completely against from the essential tenets of the democracy," he said.
He said BJP chief Amit Shah had already expressed apprehension that the way "people's mandate has been ignored" in Karnataka, the state government will be run from 10 Janpath - the address of UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi.
Noting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing a rally at Baghpat on Sunday, had called for government should be run through "janmat (people's mandate)" and "not from Janpath", he said that this message should reach Kumaraswamy and the Congress.
"Today, Congress is celebrating, JD(S) is celebrating but the people of Karnataka are not celebrating, they are sad," he claimed.
Patra said Modi and Shah had raised questions over Congress intentions in Karnataka, alleging
that the Congress looks at Karnataka "as their ATM machine".
"After the statement of Kumaraswamy, we can say that the Congress has found a new manager for its ATM machine in Karnataka. Kumaraswamy has become the CM i.e. the Chief Manager of the Congress' ATM machine. The question is who is the Chief Minister of Karnataka?"
He also referred to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's remarks about "coalition compulsions", saying that Kumaraswamy's remarks had reminded of those words.
Karnataka BJP leaders flayed Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy's remark that he was at the "mercy" of Congress and not the people of state, saying that he was "deriding his own people" and doubted his credentials to serve them.
Union Minister D V Sadananda Gowda took to twitter asking Kumaraswamy if he would compromise the interests of Kannadigas just to retain power.
"Sri @hd_kumaraswamy Honble @CMofKarnataka says he is indebted to @INCIndia not to 6.0 crore Kannadigas. Sir I would like to ask u 1) will u compromiseinterest of Kannadigas just to retain your power 2) Whats your local standee for corrupt congress is it partnership enterprise (sic)," he tweeted.
The party said that Kumaraswamy should not have "stooped" so low. "This statement of H D Kumaraswamy proves that he cares two hoots to six crore people of Karnataka. A democratically elected CM could not have stooped much lower than this in deriding his own people. One can only imagine the kind of loot he will preside to impress his Congress bosses," the BJP in Karnataka tweeted.
BJP's IT cell chief chief Amit Malviya termed the chief minster's remarks as "the most brazen admission ever" and expressed apprehensions that Karnataka "will bleed" under the present state government "while JDS-Congress fill up their coffers".
"I dread to think what will happen to the state when the Chief Minister doesn't feel compelled to serve the people, but the party that put him in power. Karnataka will bleed while JDS-Congress fill up their coffers," he said.
Kumaraswamy had yesterday stated he was at the 'mercy' of the Congress, not the 6.5 crore people of the state.
"Mine is not an independent government. I had requested the people to give me a mandate that prevents me from succumbing to any pressure other than you. But today I am at the mercy of the Congress. I am not under the pressure of the 6.5 crore people of the state," he had said.
BJP MP Rajeev Chadrasekhar said it is the "worst kind" of Congress politics with willing and shameless regional parties.
"Victory of Democracy" this gang called it - lets call it wht it is - worst kind of #CongressPolitics with willing n shameless "regional" parties," he tweeted, tagging it to Kumaraswamy, AICC President Rahul Gandhi, CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee's twitter accounts. "And the new @CMofKarnataka @hd_kumaraswamy reveals whose mandate he has - he represnts not the peoples mandate but the rejected @INCKarnataka mandate!," he tweeted.
Kumaraswamy, who was in Delhi on Monday, sought to clarify his remarks, saying ally Congress had numbers that made its voice stronger in the coalition government.
"What mercy? They supported my party. According to their direction, I have to work. That is my responsibility," he told reporters here.