Bengaluru, Jan 30 : Senior BJP MLA and former Minister S. Suresh Kumar has urged political parties in the state to deliberate on whether the tradition of the Governor addressing the joint session of the legislature should continue. He said Karnataka should take the lead in making a decision on the issue.

Suresh Kumar made the remarks on the floor of the House on Friday while speaking on the motion of thanks to the Governorâ??s address in the Legislative Assembly in Bengaluru.

â??The state has seen 18 Governors so far. Some are remembered fondly, while others are remembered for different reasons, which I will not go into. The Governorâ??s address has remained a colonial hangover. There is a need to revisit it. Is it relevant today? A neighbouring Chief Minister has even suggested moving a constitutional amendment to stop the Governorâ??s address,â?? he said.

He added that the significance, intent and sanctity of the Governorâ??s address have eroded over time. â??The Governor addresses the House, saying â??my governmentâ??, and we end up condemning the speech. Ultimately, the Governorâ??s office itself becomes the target. We need to ask whether the Governorâ??s address is still required and whether it is relevant today,â?? he said.

Referring to senior legal expert and former Bihar and Jharkhand Governor Justice (retired) M. Rama Jois, Suresh Kumar said Justice Jois had opposed the practice. â??Justice Jois had said that making the Governor speak in the name of â??my governmentâ?? must be stopped,â?? he recalled.

â??In my opinion, Karnataka should take the lead in deciding whether the Governorâ??s address is needed at all. If it is required, what should be its objective and subject matter? There should be a national debate on this issue. Enough is enough,â?? he underlined.

He said the Governorâ??s address should ideally reflect the governmentâ??s achievements and plans. â??However, today the speech carries strong political overtones. Ironically, what the Governor chose not to read was later released by the government as advertisements, achieving its political objective,â?? he criticised.

Suresh Kumar also pointed to political instability within the ruling Congress. â??There was talk of a â??November revolutionâ?? since August, which later became a â??December revolutionâ??, and now it keeps getting postponed. This has created instability in the bureaucracy,â?? he said.

He added that bureaucrats are hesitant to make decisions due to uncertainty over leadership. â??This instability is not good for the development of any state,â?? he said.

Drawing a comparison, Suresh Kumar said US President Donald Trump had stated that the Indian economy was â??deadâ??, while Congress leaders echoed the same view. â??However, a Congress leader from the state, speaking at the Davos summit, said the Indian economy is strong. When asked about the stance of national leaders, he said he would not comment against his country on foreign soil. These contradictions are clearly visible,â?? he remarked.

It can be recalled that Karanata Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot last week declined to deliver the customary address prepared by the Congress-led government to the joint session of the state legislature. He limited his address to a few lines and abruptly ended it, triggering dramatic scenes in the Assembly.

The development has triggered a major controversy and further escalated the tussle between the Governor and the Congress-led government in Karnataka.

/IANS