Governor address row: Minister H.K. Patil says Governor must apologise to people of state
Bengaluru: Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H. K. Patil on Friday accused Governor Thawarchand Gehlot of disrespecting the Legislature by not reading the Cabinet-approved address in full during the joint session, and said the Governor owed an apology to the people of the state.
Replying to a discussion in the Legislative Assembly on the controversy surrounding the Governor’s address, Patil rejected attempts by the BJP to draw parallels between the recent developments and earlier incidents in the House. He recalled that BJP legislators had once created disorder in the Assembly by tearing papers, confronting the Speaker at the Chair and disrupting proceedings, following which 18 MLAs were suspended. “Trying to justify yesterday’s events by comparing them with that incident is not acceptable,” he said.
Patil underlined that it was part of democratic convention for an elected government to present its policies through the Governor’s address. “The government does not draft the address to please the Governor. The speech contained 122 paragraphs and did not include any personal attacks on anyone,” he clarified.
During the debate, BJP member Suresh Kumar referred to the tenure of former Governor Hansraj Bharadwaj and alleged interference by the then central government. Responding, Patil said discomfort was natural when facts were stated. He added that the Constitution clearly defined the Governor’s responsibilities and that there were several Supreme Court and High Court judgments on the issue. “If we consider constitutional provisions, judicial rulings, statements made by the Union Home Minister in Parliament and established conventions relating to the President’s address, it is clear that the Governor violated constitutional norms in yesterday’s incident,” Patil asserted.
He also pointed out that opposition leaders who raised the issue had not named anyone responsible for allegedly insulting the Governor. While Legislative Council member B.K. Hariprasad’s name had been mentioned, Patil said no discussion or action could be taken in the Assembly as he was not a member of the House.
Dismissing allegations of disrespect, Patil said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, along with Cabinet colleagues, had personally escorted the Governor, greeted him and seen him off courteously. “At no point was the Governor insulted,” he said.
On his earlier remark that the Governor had “walked out” of the session, Patil said he stood by his statement. He explained that when the Governor was leaving, the Chief Minister had gestured for him to follow, and he had moved quickly in that direction. “Perhaps opposition members misunderstood this,” he added.
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Reports on CM Naidu’s VB-G RAM G Act concerns significant: Siddaramaiah
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Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said reports of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu flagging concerns over the VB-G RAM G Act’s funding pattern are politically significant and have implications for Centre-State relations.
These concerns assumed importance as they come from a key ally of the BJP whose support is critical to the Narendra Modi government, he said.
Sharing a news article titled "Naidu seeks assistance to state for enforcing new rural jobs law" on his official handle on 'X', Siddaramaiah said the VB-G RAM G Act must be repealed and the MGNREGA Act restored, with necessary reforms.
"The reports that the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh N Chandrababu Naidu has raised concerns with the Union Government over the implementation of the VB-G RAM G Act - especially regarding the altered funding pattern and the additional burden on states - are politically significant and consequential for Centre–State relations," he said.
Siddaramaiah claimed that for months, the Congress party and opposition-ruled states, including Karnataka, have warned that the VB-G RAM G Act undermines cooperative federalism by shifting financial responsibility onto states.
"A BJP ally now echoing these concerns exposes a clear rupture within the NDA and undermines the BJP’s defence of the law," he said.
Siddaramaiah demanded that the union government and the BJP explain why the same objections were earlier dismissed as political criticism, saying the contrast between the two laws is clear.
He highlighted that under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), rural employment was a legal right backed by assured central funding.
"Under the new Act, that certainty is lost. States are required to implement the programme while sharing the cost, without any statutory guarantee of funds. What was once a guaranteed right of the people has been reduced to a matter of negotiation," the Karanataka CM alleged.
He further alleged that this shift has serious implications, saying when a CM is compelled to seek “alternative financial support” through private discussions, it signals that access to funds is being determined by bargaining power rather than by law.
"In the present political context, this raises the risk that allocations may be influenced by political alignment, adversely affecting Opposition-ruled states, including Karnataka," he said.
Siddaramaiah said if NDA partners, especially the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, find the new framework unsustainable, these concerns must be raised openly in Parliament. They cannot be addressed through selective concessions or private assurances.
"The developments reported today make it clear that the VB-G RAM G Act must be repealed and the MGNREGA Act restored, with necessary reforms. Employment security cannot be converted into a negotiable arrangement. Cooperative federalism must be sustained through guaranteed funding and equal treatment of all states - not through uncertainty and coalition arithmetic," he added.
