Congress's 'double standards' towards judiciary exposed: BJP

The BJP today hit out at the Congress, saying the the party's "double standards" towards the judiciary has been exposed as it was now praising the Supreme Court after insulting it and also attempting to impeach the Chief Justice of India (CJI).

"The party that had tried to impeach the CJI is now all praises for him and its leader Rahul Gandhi, who is praising the Supreme Court today, used Pakistan as an analogy yesterday," BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra told reporters here.

Patra was responding to Gandhi's remarks in which he welcomed today's Supreme Court order to conduct a floor test in the Karnataka assembly at 4 PM tomorrow, drastically slashing the 15-day window given by Governor Vajubhai Vala to BJP Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa to prove majority.

He also referred to the Congress president's yesterday remark that the judiciary and the press were under "fear" and that usually happens in Pakistan under "dictatorship".

"The real face of the Congress is exposed today. It insulted the apex court over the Justice Loya case, and is now praising them. This shows the hypocrisy and double standards of the Congress towards the judiciary and its selective approach," Patra said.

Talking about Karnataka, he said the Congress is "murdering" the people's mandate" in the state. They cannot alter the Constitution according to their whims, the BJP spokesperson said.

"There is nothing bigger than the mandate. We are all watching the Congress's conspiracy to undermine the mandate This is why they went to the court in the middle of the night," he said.

"There are news paper reports that initially,before the announcement of the Karnataka poll results, the Congress had prepared a petition where they anticipated that the BJP and the JD(S) would come together. They wanted the Supreme Court to direct the governor to invite the single largest party," Patra said.

"Ironically, though the Congress welcomed the marathon hearing in the court, their president equated the Supreme Court with Pakistan the next morning. In the said case, the apex court has rejected both the prayers of the Congress petition, yet the Congress is claiming victory. Why?", the spokesperson said.

The Congress is rejoicing even after rejection. It is trying its best to "murder the mandate" of the people of Karnataka, Patra said.

The BJP, which emerged as the single largest party with 104 seats in Karnataka Assembly, was invited by Governor Vala to form government.

In a historic pre-dawn hearing, the top court had yesterday cleared the last-minute hurdle created by the Congress-JD(S) combine for the BJP's ambitious surge in southern India by paving the way for Yeddyurappa to be sworn in as the chief minister of Karnataka.