Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday said the Congress-led state government is considering approaching the Supreme Court after Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot walked out of the state assembly without delivering his full address to the legislature.
The governor exited the House after reading only two lines of his customary address, triggering a political confrontation between Raj Bhavan and the elected government. On Wednesday, Gehlot had objected to certain portions of the speech, particularly references accusing the Centre of “repealing” provisions of the UPA-era MGNREGA, and declined to deliver the address in full.
CM accuses governor of constitutional violation
Siddaramaiah strongly criticised the governor’s conduct, alleging that he had violated constitutional norms and acted as a “puppet” of the central government.
Speaking to reporters, the chief minister said that under Article 176 and Article 163 of the Constitution, the governor is constitutionally bound to read the address prepared by the state cabinet at the beginning of the legislative session.
“Every new year, the governor has to address the joint session and read the speech prepared by the state cabinet. That is constitutional,” Siddaramaiah said. “Instead of reading the cabinet-approved speech, he spoke a speech prepared by himself. This is against the provisions of the Constitution.”
Quoting PTI, the CM said the governor had failed to discharge his duties and responsibilities as mandated by the Constitution. “Therefore, we are going to protest against the attitude of the governor. We are examining whether to approach the Supreme Court or not. We will let you know,” he added.
Political row escalates
The controversy unfolded after what initially appeared to be a routine start to the session. Governor Gehlot arrived at the Vidhana Soudha amid hours of political suspense and was received by Siddaramaiah. However, his decision to leave the assembly moments later, after reading just two lines, quickly escalated into a major political row.
BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition in the legislative assembly, R Ashok, defended the governor, alleging political pressure from the ruling party. Speaking to ANI, he said, “There is pressure on the governor to speak against the central government. Congress leaders have their own agenda—to show Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi that they are fighting the Centre.”
The episode marks the latest flashpoint in an ongoing pattern of confrontations between governors and elected governments in opposition-ruled states, adding to the broader debate over the role and limits of gubernatorial authority.
