INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Karnataka floor test: Sanjay Nirupam said Vajubhai Vala had set a new "standard" for loyalty.Mumbai: Congress
leader Sanjay Nirupam on Monday sparked a controversy with his swipe at Karnataka governor Vajubhai Vala hours after the party claimed
victory in dramatic turn of events that ended with the resignation of BJP's BS Yeddyurappa as the state's Chief Minister
"Vajubhai Vala has established a new standard of loyalty
Perhaps now every Indian will name their dog Vajubhai Vala because nobody can be more loyal than him," Mr Nirupam told news agency ANI.The
Congress leader's comments came after Mr Yeddyurappa's decision to step down and not face a floor test in Karnataka, capping days of plot
twists that began with the Karnataka election results on Tuesday
A day later, Vajubhai Vala invited the BJP (which emerged as the single largest party but short of majority) to form the government and 15
days to prove its strength in the assembly
The move drew bitter criticism from its opponents who said it was a "license" to engineer defections with money, favours and threats
The lavish 15-day deadline was later cut short to 24 hours by the Supreme Court against appeals by the BJP. BS Yeddyurappa resigned as
Karnataka Chief Minister moments before a floor test.Vajubhai Vala also controversially appointed a BJP lawmaker KG Bopaiah seen as close to
Mr Yeddyurappa as the temporary speaker for today's floor test in what many pointed out was a break from tradition
Usually the senior-most MLA is appointed a temporary speaker
In 2010, he had suspended five independent and 11 BJP lawmakers who rebelled against Mr Yeddyurappa after he was charged in a mining scam,
helping him sail through a floor test.But Mr Nirupam's crude remarks flew in the face of comments made by Rahul Gandhi who stressed in his
briefing that the BJP and its ideological mentor Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh or RSS did not respect the country's institutions
The BJP, which political observers said backed out Karnataka with a plan, seized the moment."Congress does not respect institutions and this
statement is just an evidence of that
Is this how they show respect towards the post of the Governor" Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said as he served the rejoinder to a spree
of celebratory Congress' reactions following Mr Yeddyurappa's resignation. During the Karnataka election campaign, PM Narendra Modi had
said Congress should learn patriotism from the state's Mudhol dogs.The Congress quickly distanced itself from the comment."Congress
doesn't agree with any such statement
Karnataka governor murdered democracy
However, any statement made on him personally won't be accepted
Rahul Gandhi and Congress have regard for their worst enemies unlike PM Modi," party spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said.During the bitter
campaigning for Karnataka elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had too drawn criticism from the opposition for recommending that the
Congress learn patriotism from Mudhol hound dogs of North Karnataka.As the backlash swelled and Sanjay Nirupam trended on Twitter with a
torrent of reprisals from BJP supporters, he issued an apology of sorts."Vajubhai Vala is a human
But in displaying the highest human habit quality of loyalty, he has left even dogs behind
But despite that, of this statement was not liked then I apologise
But his excellency did not spare any effort to murder democracy
He should resign," he tweeted in Hindi.
