No relation with developments in Karnataka: Rajnath Singh

The BJP-ruled government has no relation to the ongoing developments in Karnataka and did not put pressure on any MLA or MP to switch parties, Union Minister Rajnath Singh said Monday in Lok Sabha. The Defence Minister said the government is committed to protect the sanctity of Parliament.

"Whatever is happening currently in Karnataka, we have not relation with that," he said, replying to the issue raised by Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. Chowdhury alleged the BJP-ruled government is hatching a conspiracy to break the Congress-led government in Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh.

"This government is secretly hatching a conspiracy against the state government. They took our MLAs to a five star hotel in Mumbai," Chowdhury said during Zero Hour. He also said that immediately after the MLAs met the Governor, vehicles, aeroplane and hotel facilities were already there. To drive home his point, Chowdhury said if one has 10 silver and gold coins each but not facility to secure them, it does not mean that an outsider will steal them.

The Congress-JD (S) government has plunged into a crisis, with 13 MLAs of the alliance submitting their resignation to the Speaker. 12 of them did it on Saturday. The defence minister said the resignation drive was started by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. "Big leaders of Congress are resigning," he added. Immediately after the minister's reply, Congress members started shouting and showing placards with "Save Democracy" written on them.

Members did not pay heed to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla's repeated request to stay calm. T R Baalu (DMK) and Sudip Bandyopadhyay (TMC) raised their issues during Zero Hour, but in the pandemonium, the Speaker adjourned the House for lunch.

-PTI