Maha Cong hits out at BJP after K'taka govt falls

The Maharashtra Congress on Tuesday attacked the BJP for grabbing "power by hook or by crook" in Karnataka.

Earlier in the day, the Congress-JDS government in Karnataka collapsed after the confidence motion moved by Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy was defeated in the Assembly there.

"Getting power by hook or by crook is the agenda of the BJP headed by Amit Shah and Narendra Modi. The entire country saw to what extent they can stoop to get power," Maharashtra Congress president Balasaheb Thorat said.

"The BJP doesn't want governments headed by opposition parties to function. The BJP spent crores of rupees to keep rebel Karnataka MLAs in five-star hotels," he added.

Several rebel Congress-JD(S) MLAs have been camping in a hotel in Mumbai after submitting their resignations to the Karnataka Assembly speaker.

Meanwhile, former CM Ashok Chavan termed the fall of the Karnataka government as defeat of democracy.

"For the time being, lotus (BJP symbol) has won. But democracy has been defeated. From day one, BJP was working to destablise the Karnataka government," Chavan said.

"If you want power, then it is only us was the motto of the BJP. Money power prevailed over ethics and morals," he claimed.