Congress rubbishes BJP demand for Karnataka governor's recall

Congress today dismissed the BJP's demand for recall of Karnataka governor HR Bhardwaj, saying it has "no legs to stand".

"Karnataka governor Bhardwaj issued a communique elaborating reasons for his decision. Home minister P Chidambaram also issued a communique giving the legal and constitutional position on the issue. After these two communiques, I don't think BJP's demand has any leg to stand," party spokesperson Manish Tewari told reporters in Delhi.

On whether Congress party backs the governor's decision sanctioning that an FIR be registered against Yeddyurappa in a corruption case, Tewari said, "(The) governor has taken a decision. He has already explained in detail why he took this decision...Governor is well within his constitutional rights to arrive at a decision."

The Congress leader's remarks came on a day when a BJP delegation led by senior opposition party leader LK Advani met President Pratibha Patil seeking recall of the governor.

The delegation also handed over a memorandum to Patil in which it complained about the "tirade" against the state government by Bhardwaj since the day he took charge in June last year and said his removal was a "must to restore Constitutional order".

Terming Bhardwaj's appointment as a step to "end democracy" in the country, the BJP said the "mindset and conduct" of the governor was motivated by extraneous and collateral purposes, less as a Constitutional functionary and more as a Congress activist.