Karnataka Governor walks out of Assembly amid speech dispute

Karnataka Governor Gehlot walked out of Assembly after a brief speech, sparking Congress protests over ignoring govt-drafted address critical of Modi

A dramatic confrontation unfolded in the Karnataka Assembly on Thursday when Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot walked out after delivering only three sentences of his address to the joint session of the legislature.

Gehlot began by welcoming members and expressing happiness at addressing another joint sitting. He then stated, “My government is fully committed to double the speed of economic, social and physical development of the state. Jai Hind. Jai Karnataka,” before abruptly leaving the House.

The sudden exit triggered protests from Congress legislators, who attempted to gherao the Governor as he departed. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah strongly criticized the move, alleging that Gehlot had ignored the government-drafted speech and instead read from his own version. Siddaramaiah described the act as 'an insult to the House of Representatives' and accused the Governor of acting like 'a puppet of the Union government.'

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The Chief Minister further announced that the Congress government and party lawmakers would stage protests against the incident. He added that the state government would deliberate on whether to approach the Supreme Court and communicate its decision to the public.

The confrontation stemmed from a dispute over the content of the Governor’s address. On Wednesday, Gehlot had reportedly refused to deliver the speech prepared by the Congress government unless 11 paragraphs critical of the Modi administration were removed. The disagreement culminated in Thursday’s walkout, leaving the Assembly in turmoil.

Officials indicated that further developments on the issue are expected in the coming days.

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