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Journalism of Courage
With his recommendation for Presidents Rule receiving a cold response in Delhi,Karnataka Governor H R Bhardwaj today said he was ready to call a session of the Karnataka Assembly as demanded by the ruling BJP.
There is no problem in my calling for a sitting of the House. However,this can be done only if the Speaker assures that he will run the House smoothly,without any partisan behaviour. I cant be expected to see a Constitutional breakdown and just sit back and do nothing, he said.
He,however,added that in light of the Supreme Court judgment,he was of the view that both the Chief Minister and the Speaker should resign.
Asked if the Centre had held any consultations with him after he sent his recommendation to dismiss the state government,impose Presidents Rule and keep the Karnataka Assembly in suspended animation,the Governor told The Indian Express over the phone from Bangalore: I have done my job. Now it is for the Union Home Ministry to give its inputs and the Union Cabinet to make an appropriate recommendation to the President about my report. I am sending daily reports to the Centre.
But wasnt he disappointed that the Centre had not acted on his two reports to bring the state under Presidents Rule? There is democracy. I send my report. Then the Prime Minister has to hear the Opposition and take appropriate decision.
I have done my job. And,yes,I didnt act in haste. I believe I did the right thing in sending the report, he asserted.
Criticising the BJP stand,Bhardwaj said: Now,Arun Jaitley (BJP leader) is finding fault with the Supreme Court judgment. If the highest court of the land says something,it is final and has to be accepted. I sent my report because there was a breakdown of Constitutional machinery in the state. The Supreme Court has held in the S R Bommai case that sanctity of the floor test has to be maintained. However,here,the Speaker distorted the Assembly proceedings while the Chief Minister abetted his action.
The former Union law minister,who celebrated his 74th birthday on Tuesday,also dismissed suggestions that the recent developments in the state which have resulted in a stand-off between him and the ruling BJP were the result of a personality clash between him and Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa.
Where is the question of a personality clash? I dont have any personality. Mr Yeddyurappa is the Chief Minister and I am the head of the state. Under the Constitution,he has to rule in my name while it is my duty to send a report to the President if there is any problem. He (Yeddyurappa) is always welcome to meet and discuss with me… I wish he had come to me rather than going to the Centre. He has to take the Opposition in confidence and not manipulate everything, Bhardwaj said.
He also said he had been told that the Chief Minister would meet him tomorrow.
In a statement released earlier in Bangalore,Bhardwaj reiterated his claim of breakdown of constitutional mechanism.
Tampering with the composition of the Legislative Assembly in an unconstitutional manner by the Karnataka assembly Speaker with the disqualification of 11 rebel BJP MLAs and five Independents ahead of a floor test was the primary basis for recommending intervention under Article 356,the Governor said in a detailed communique issued on Tuesday evening.
According to the Karnataka Governor,intervention under Article 356 (1) of the Constitution of India is not limited to a situation of the government losing its majority but whenever there is breakdown of constitutional mechanism.
With ENS Bangalore
