Congress president and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, on Saturday mounted a strong attack on the BJP-led central government, accusing it of misusing constitutional authorities to undermine elected state governments that are not ruled by the BJP. He alleged that Governors were being reduced to mere “puppets” and were being deployed to deliberately obstruct, intimidate, and destabilise Congress-ruled as well as other opposition-ruled states.
Speaking at a public programme in Karnataka, Kharge claimed that the Prime Minister’s Office and the Union Home Ministry were directly issuing instructions to Governors. According to him, this interference extended to matters such as directing Governors not to read addresses prepared by democratically elected state governments. He stressed that this was not an isolated incident limited to Karnataka, asserting that similar situations had unfolded in states like Tamil Nadu and Kerala, where non-BJP governments are in power.
Referring specifically to the recent standoff between the Karnataka government and Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, Kharge alleged that Governors were intentionally delaying legislation, returning Bills without justification, and withholding assent in order to paralyse governance. He claimed that some Governors privately admit to receiving directions from the highest levels of the central government, adding that such practices were pushing the country in a fundamentally wrong direction.
The confrontation came into sharp focus on Thursday when Gehlot refused to read the full address prepared by the Karnataka government for a joint session of the state legislature, choosing instead to conclude his speech in just three lines. Reports suggested that the Governor objected to portions of the draft speech that accused the Centre of dismantling the UPA-era MGNREGA. Kharge noted that similar confrontations between Governors and elected governments have recently surfaced in Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well, indicating what he described as a broader pattern.
Kharge also strongly criticised the Centre’s handling of MGNREGA, alleging that the Narendra Modi government had effectively hollowed out the rights-based rural employment programme and replaced it with a weaker and less effective alternative. He asserted that the Congress party would resist any attempt to dilute welfare-oriented legislation and promised to fight for the full restoration of MGNREGA, drawing a parallel with how the contentious farm laws were eventually repealed following sustained public protests.
Issuing a broader political warning, Kharge cautioned against what he described as the growing authoritarian tendencies of the current regime. He urged voters to decisively defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party in all forthcoming elections, remarking that while governments may change, the nation and its democratic foundations must endure. He further alleged that the BJP prioritised the interests of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the party over the Constitution and democratic values.
Kharge was addressing the gathering at an event held to dedicate more than 42,000 houses constructed under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana in Karnataka and to distribute allotment letters as part of the golden jubilee celebrations of the Slum Development Board. The programme was attended by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah along with several members of the state cabinet.
