Congress today appeared to be favouring imposition of President's rule in Karnataka accepting the report of Governor. "Imposition of President's rule and keeping the Karnataka Assembly in suspended animation seems to be the only option left at this juncture," a senior party leader said on condition of anonymity. He said the second option was that the Centre could advise the Governor to direct the Speaker to hold another trial of strength in the Assembly in the presence of independent observers. "This option,however,seems to be have been closed as the Governor has already sent a report," the leader said. The Congress leader said that had there been a normal procedure of a trust vote and the opposition allowed to vote,the present situation would not have arisen. "But now,Article 356 (President's rule) seems to be the only way out," he said. At the official party briefing,Congress spokesman Manish Tewari said developments in the Karnataka Assembly has exposed the "fascist" nature of the BJP. "The farcical trust vote has exposed the fascist nature of the BJP. The Speaker has misused the provisions of the 10th Schedule of the Constitution to convert a minority government into a majority government," Tewari told reporters. He said never before in Independent India,the spirit of law,constitution and constitutional procedures have been "trampled so mercilessly". "The Speaker became an accomplice in the murder of democracy in the temple of democracy by flouting all constitutional obligations," Tewari said. He said the BJP,which claims to be a principled party,has been exposed once again before the nation in its attempt to retain power at all costs and subvert constitutional provisions. Tewari also took a dig at senior BJP leaders saying it was a "command performance" choreographed by the top leaders in the Capital. "If BJP was capable enough and had the numbers,why didn't they act in a transparent manner?" the spokesman asked. Asked whether President's rule will be imposed in the state,Tewari said the government in Karnataka was a minority government and did not enjoy the confidence of the House. "The Governor as the first citizen of the state has seen this. He has sent a report. We will comment only when the report becomes public," he said. Tewari,however,said,"obviously,it would be a complete travesty if a minority government is allowed to continue,particularly after what happened today". Cong Core Groups meets to discuss Karnataka situation The Congress Core Group met here today against the backdrop of Karnataka Governor H R Bhardwaj's recommendation for dismissal of the state government after it won a controversial trust vote in the Assembly. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,Congress President Sonia Gandhi,Home Minister P Chidambaram and Political Secretary to the Congress President Ahmad Patel were understood to have deliberated on the options before the Centre in view of the fluid political situation in Karnataka. Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa won the vote of confidence in the state Assembly after Speaker K G Bopaiah disqualified 11 BJP MLAs and five Independent members and barred them from entering the Vidhan Soudha premises. The Governor is believed to have sent his report to the Centre calling the events and the vote in the Assembly as "unconstitutional" and "farce" and that the state should be brought under President's rule. He is understood to have noted that the Speaker's action in disqualifying 16 MLAs was unconstitutional and had vitiated the proceedings.
