Congress protests over political crisis in Karnataka, Goa inside, outside parliament

UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and party chief Rahul Gandhi on Thursday led a protest of party lawmakers against the BJP-led government over political developments in Karnataka and Goa, with the party also staging a walkout in both the houses of Parliament.

The party members protested in the morning in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Parliament complex holding 'Save Democracy' banners. "We are protesting against Karnataka and Goa issue," Rahul Gandhi told .

The party, including its leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi later staged a walkout in the Lok Sabha against the alleged role of BJP in political developments in Karnataka and Goa. They were joined by MPs of some other parties including NCP, DMK and National Conference.

Party leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury wanted to raise the issue but was not given permission. The party MPs later staged a walkout. BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje spoke briefly on the political situation in the state.

In the Rajya Sabha, Congress leader Anand Sharma raised the issue alleging that the elected government was being destabilised in Karnataka and accused BJP of horsetrading. He said developments in Karnataka and Goa were an assault on democracy.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said the problems of Congress were of its own making. "Your party doesn't have a chief. How can you blame the BJP?" he said.

Chairman M.Venkaiah Naidu said the House was functioning normally but had to face adjournments over the past few days.

He said politics development take place but "we have to think of development of the country".

"I can only order a member to go back to his seat. I can't ask anyone to go back to his party," he said.

Congress members later staged a walkout.

The party MPs, who gathered near Gandhi's statue in the morning, raised slogans and carried banners.

Among those present were Anand Sharma, Choudhury, Shashi Tharoor and Gaurav Gogoi.

Commenting on the political crisis in Karnataka and the political developments in Goa, Tharoor said, "This is absolutely a murder of democracy and assault on the Constitution."

"If BJP's idea is to try to induce people to join BJP in one way or the other, are they trying to turn the country it into a one-party state?" Tharoor asked. But that is not the Constitution's vision, its vision is that in a democracy somebody will lose, he said.

In Karnataka, legislators of the ruling Congress-JD(S) alliance have resigned plunging the state government into crisis. In Goa, 10 Congress MLAs have joined the ruling BJP.

( With inputs from ANI )