The PM is corruption: Rahul Gandhi

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not only abetting the corruption, but is corruption himself.

Addressing the media, Gandhi said, "You have 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 that this is a lesson to the BJP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party chief Amit Shah that the Indian institutions are bigger.

"The country has shown the BJP, PM NarendraModi and murder-accused AmitShah that the institutions of the country are bigger than their moneybags," Gandhi said.

Gandhi thanked the Opposition for standing together and defeating the BJP.

"I am proud that opposition stood together and defeated the BJP and we will continue to do so. In India, the will of the people is everything. I would like to thank the people of Karnataka and our partymen and JD(S) leaders for defending what is much more than simply the election of Karnataka" he said.

Taking a dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS), the Congress President said, "I hope the BJP and the RSS have learned a lesson that the institutions, as well as the will of the people of this country, cannot be disrespected."

Gandhi also raised the question on the moment where all the BJP legislators and the speaker walked out of the House before the national anthem.

"Did you notice that after the entire exercise in Karnataka, the BJP legislators and the speaker chose to get up and leave the House before the national anthem? This is what we are fighting today - the idea that you can choose to rubbish any institution in the country. This is something the BJP and RSS do repeatedly," he added.

BJP leader B.S. Yeddyurappa exited the Vidhana Soudha to meet governor Vajubhai R. Vala.

This comes after the BJP leader announced his resignation as chief minister ahead of the floor test that was scheduled for the Yeddyurappa government to prove majority at the state assembly.

The turmoil in Karnataka began when the state governor Vajubhai R. Vala invited the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to form the government in the state, despite the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) alliance having a higher number of seats.

Governor Vala had also given 15 days to the Yeddyurappa government to prove the majority in the house.

The Congress then filed a plea in the Supreme Court, which led to a rare midnight hearing by the three-judge bench of justice A.K. Sikri, justice S.A. Bobde and justice Ashok Bhushan. The court, however, refused to stay the oath-taking ceremony, following which Yeddyurappa was sworn in as the 23rd chief minister of Karnataka on Thursday morning.

In the hearing, which took place on Friday morning, the top court after hearing arguments for and against the petition filed by the Congress and JD(S) decided o conduct a floor test at 4 pm on Saturday.

While the Supreme Court, ahead of the floor test, rejected a petition by the Congress-JD(S) challenging the appointment of K.G. Bopaiah as pro-tem speaker, it directed that the procedure is broadcasted live.