Bengaluru : Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Thursday refused to read portions of the customary address to the state Assembly and walked out of the House, objecting to references to the G RAM G law in the government-drafted speech. When the Governor was scheduled to deliver the address outlining the government’s policies and priorities. Gehlot objected to specific paragraphs referring to the controversial legislation aimed at overhauling the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) framework, arguing that the address amounted to government propaganda.
Congress MLAs raised slogans and attempted to gherao him. Marshals intervened and escorted Gehlot out amid noisy protests and disorder in the House. The walkout invited sharp reactions from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who accused the Governor of violating constitutional conventions and acting at the behest of the Centre. It is the duty of the Governor to address the first Assembly session of the year. The Cabinet had approved the contents of the Governor’s speech.
The Chief Minister alleged that Gehlot had failed to discharge his constitutional responsibilities and said he would explore legal recourse. “The Governor is acting as a tool of the Central government, which is unconstitutional. We will decide on approaching the Supreme Court against the Governor,” he added. These paragraphs reportedly contained criticism of the Centre and its policies, including references to the “repeal” or dilution of MGNREGA. The Governor is said to have insisted that these portions be deleted from the speech.
It added, “MGNREGA had gained nationwide recognition and stood as a symbol of progress; the Central Government has effectively consigned this scheme to oblivion,” and “These actions of the Centre are not only anti-democratic but also ignore the demands of the majority of citizens.”
On Wednesday, a delegation led by Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister HK Patil met Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot in an attempt to resolve the impasse.
Sources indicated that the state government had agreed to remove a couple of sentences critical of the Act in an effort to avoid a confrontation.The Karnataka episode comes amid an unprecedented series of confrontations between Governors and elected state governments. On Tuesday, Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi walked out of the Assembly without delivering his customary address on the opening day of the inaugural session of the year, citing “inaccuracies” in the text.
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