New Delhi: Questioning their patriotism, Rahul Gandhi on Saturday tore into BJP's Karnataka MLAs and Protem Speaker KG Bopaiah for walking out without waiting for the national anthem to be played inside Karnataka Assembly.


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The political drama inside Karnataka's Vidhan Sabha culminated in the evening with BS Yeddyurappa announcing his resignation from the post of CM. While Congress legislators began celebrating immediately after, several BJP MLAs and Protem Speaker KG Bopaiah were seen walking out even as the national anthem began playing. The Congress President took the opportunity to highlight what he claimed was BJP's hollow respect for the nation. "Did you notice that after the entire exercise in Karnataka Vidhan Sabha, the BJP legislators and speaker chose to leave the house before the national anthem? It shows they can disrespect any institution if in power," he said in a press conference here. "Both BJP and RSS have disrespected institutions repeatedly."

While congratulating Congress and JDS MLAs in Karnataka for sticking together and not giving in to what he claimed were incentives from BJP, Rahul also especially targeted PM Narendra Modi. "You've seen openly how the PM directly authorized purchasing of MLAs in Karnataka. So the idea that PM spreads in the country that he is fighting corruption, is a blatant lie. he is corruption," he said.  (Read full report here)


It is a statement that BJP has latched onto and has launched counter attacks on.


The bitter battle for political control in Karnataka culminated with Yeddyurappa's resgination and Governor Vajubhai Vala is now expected to invite the Congress-JDS combine to form the government.