The BJP on Friday hit out at the Congress for "rejoicing" the Supreme Court's verdict over Karnataka, saying those who had sought to impeach the Chief Justice of India are now "murdering the mandate" after being rejected by the people of state."The Congress has welcomed the Supreme Court's decision. Some days back they had questioned the Supreme Court verdict in the case of judge Loya's death. They even tried to impeach the CJI."Then the Congress President (Rahul Gandhi) also attacked the court. Now they have welcomed the court's verdict.This kind of selectionism doesn't work in democracy," BJP Spokesperson Sambit Patra told reporters here at a press conference."This is the Constitution of India, Rahulji. This can't be flexible according to your whicms and fancies," he said.The BJP leader said the Congress was rejoicing the court verdict despite being rejected by the people of Karnataka. "They were reduced to 78 from 122. They are murdering the mandate. In democracy, there is noting above the (people's) mandate and the Congress is trying to kill that mandate," he said.Patra said both "prayers" of the Congress to the apex court to quash Governor's decision to invite the BJP to form government and to invite the Congress-JD-S instead, have been rejected. "Yet the Congress is claiming victory, like Rahul Gandhi had claimed 'moral victory' after defeat in Gujarat elections."Taking a jibe at Rahul Gandhi for likening India's judiciary to Pakistan, Patra asked can he be compared with Bilawal Bhutto of Pakistan People's Party (PPP) just because both are dynasts in politics."You are not Bilawal Bhutto and the Congress is not PPP and you compare India's judiciary with Pakistan. You are drawing the comparision because your party has been reduced only to PPP (Punjab, Pudduchery and Parivar). And in this frustration, you are drawing parallel to Pakistan's judiciary with India," he said.
Patra's attack came hours after the Congress hailed the Supreme Court's directive to hold an early floor test in Karnataka instead of the 15 days earlier granted to Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa by Governor Vajubhai R. Vala.Asked about the Congress allegation that one of their MLAs has been abducted, Patra hit back, saying ever since India got Independence, the Congress always has tried to "abduct democracy" in India."We had seen how emergency was imposed. We had seen as to how judges were superceded during the Emergency. We had seen the attempts of the Congress to form a committed judiciary."All these years, ruling over India was their entitlement and they were supposed to be princes and princesses of the country. For the first time they have realaised that people are everything in democracy. The Congress must know how to respect democracy," he said.Citing media reports, the BJP leader also accused that fearing another Goa, the Congress had drafted a Supreme Court plea for the largest party to be invited first but was changed later when they felt the party was not going to form its government alone."It seems they knew that the Congress will be the single-largest party and they had this doubt that the BJP and the JD-S would come together to form the government," he said.He also said that the Congress could not produce in the Supreme Court any acknowledgement or proof of letter signed by their MLAs extending support to the Congress-JD-S alliance that was sent to the Governor of Karnataka.In the May 12 Assembly election in 222 constituencies, the BJP won 104 seats, the Congress 78 and the JD-S 37, with the latter two striking a post-poll alliance.