The chief minister accused the governor of violating the Constitution by not delivering the full speech prepared by the state cabinet. “Every new year, the governor has to address the joint session and read the speech prepared by the state cabinet. That is constitutional. Article 176 and Article 163 clearly mandate that the governor shall read the speech prepared by the government or the cabinet,” Siddaramaiah told reporters.
The controversy arose after Gehlot declined to deliver the planned address to the Karnataka legislature on Thursday. The governor reportedly objected to certain references in the speech alleging that the Centre had “repealed” the UPA-era Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
