Governor Walks Out of Karnataka Assembly

High drama unfolded on the very first day of the Karnataka Assembly session as Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot staged a walkout from the House. The Governor read only two lines from the address prepared by the Congress government opposing amendments to the employment guarantee scheme and abruptly left the Assembly. He concluded the speech by stating that the government is committed to accelerating the state’s economic and social progress, ending with slogans of “Jai Hind, Jai Karnataka”. This triggered strong protests from Congress legislators inside the House.

Reacting sharply, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah termed the Governor’s action unconstitutional. He stated that under Articles 176 and 163 of the Indian Constitution, the Governor is mandated to read the Cabinet-approved address during the joint Assembly session. By deviating from the approved speech and delivering a self-prepared version, the Governor violated constitutional norms, the Chief Minister alleged. Siddaramaiah added that the government would protest against the Governor’s conduct and is also considering approaching the Supreme Court over the issue.