Sanjay Nirupam Triggers Row With "Loyal Dog" Jab At Karnataka Governor

The Congress distanced itself from the comment but not before the BJP cited it to challenge Rahul Gandhi's assertion that the party respected India's institutions.

Karnataka floor test: Sanjay Nirupam said Vajubhai Vala had set a new "standard" for loyalty.

MUMBAI:  Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam on Monday sparked a controversy with his swipe at Karnataka governor Vajubhai Vala hours after the party claimed victory in a dramatic turn of events that ended with the resignation of BJP's BS Yeddyurappa as the state's Chief Minister. "Vajubhai Vala has established a new standard of loyalty. Perhaps now every Indian will name their dog Vajubhai Vala because nobody can be more loyal than him," Mr. Nirupam told news agency ANI.

The Congress leader's comments came after Mr. Yeddyurappa's decision to step down and not face a floor test in Karnataka, capping days of plot twists that began with the Karnataka election results on Tuesday. A day later, Vajubhai Vala invited the BJP (which emerged as the single largest party but short of a majority) to form the government and 15 days to prove its strength in the assembly. The move drew bitter criticism from its opponents who said it was a "license" to engineer defections with money, favors and threats. The lavish 15-day deadline was later cut short to 24 hours by the Supreme Court against appeals by the BJP.
 

BS Yeddyurappa resigned as Karnataka Chief Minister moments before a floor test.

Vajubhai Vala also controversially appointed a BJP lawmaker KG Bopaiah seen as close to Mr Yeddyurappa as the temporary speaker for today's floor test in what many pointed out was a break from tradition. Usually, the senior-most MLA is appointed a temporary speaker. In 2010, he had suspended five independent and 11 BJP lawmakers who rebelled against Mr. Yeddyurappa after he was charged in a mining scam, helping him sail through a floor test.

But Mr. Nirupam's crude remarks flew in the face of comments made by Rahul Gandhi who stressed in his briefing that the BJP and its ideological mentor Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh or RSS did not respect the country's institutions. The BJP, which political observers said backed out Karnataka with a plan, seized the moment.

"Congress does not respect institutions and this statement is just an evidence of that. Is this how they show respect towards the post of the Governor?" Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said as he served the rejoinder to a spree of celebratory Congress' reactions following Mr Yeddyurappa's resignation.
 

During the Karnataka election campaign, PM Narendra Modi had said Congress should learn patriotism from the state's Mudhol dogs.

The Congress quickly distanced itself from the comment."Congress doesn't agree with any such statement. Karnataka governor murdered democracy. However, any statement made on him personally won't be accepted. Rahul Gandhi and Congress have regard for their worst enemies unlike PM Modi," party spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said.

During the bitter campaigning for Karnataka elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had to drawn criticism from the opposition for recommending that the Congress learn patriotism from Mudhol hound dogs of North Karnataka.

As the backlash swelled and Sanjay Nirupam trended on Twitter with a torrent of reprisals from BJP supporters, he issued an apology of sorts.

"Vajubhai Vala is a human. How can I make him a dog. But in displaying the highest human habit quality of loyalty, he has left even dogs behind. But despite that, of this statement was not liked then I apologise. But his excellency did not spare any effort to murder democracy. He should resign," he tweeted in Hindi.