Such things happen in Pakistan: Rahul Gandhi on BJP forming government in Karnataka

Congress president Rahul Gandhi, reacting to BS Yeddyurappa’s oath as Karnataka CM, on Thursday said that the BJP was “killing all institutions” in the country and compared India's situation with Pakistan.

Addressing a ‘Jan Swaraj Sammelan’ in Chhattisgarh capital Raipur, Gandhi said, “One after another, you can see every democratic institution in the country, like the MPs, MLAs, the press and the Planning Commission...the RSS is trying to induct its people.”

He said that the Constitution was under severe attack in the country where an atmosphere of fear prevailed.

“The Constitution is under severe attack in the country. In Karnataka, the MLAs are on one side and the governor on the other,” the Gandhi scion said and added that such things “happen in countries like Pakistan”.

“The judiciary is under fear, the press is under fear and even the BJP’s members of Parliament are under the same fear as they cannot speak a single word before the prime minister (Narendra Modi),” He said.

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The Congress president’s sharp reaction came against the backdrop of dramatic happenings in Karnataka, where BJP formed the government even as they lacked the majority.

BJP legislature party leader BS Yeddyurappa on Thursday took oath as the chief minister of Karnataka for the third time, after an overnight high-voltage legal battle in the Supreme Court.

The BJP has 104 MLAs in the House, eight short of the magic figure of 112, whereas the Congress and JD-S, which have already announced post-poll tie-up, have won 78 and 37 seats respectively.