The BJP on Monday termed as "absolutely demeaning" the remarks of Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy that he was at the mercy of Congress and not of the state's 6.5 crore people, saying he has become "chief manager of the Congress' ATM machine" in the state.
Talking to media persons in Delhi, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said Kumaraswamy's remarks were akin to abusing democracy.
"This is absolutely demeaning to the democratic fabric of the country. This is the fallout when you play with the mandate of the people for your petty political reasons. The kind of statement that Kumaraswamy has made is completely against the essential tenets of democracy," he said.
He said BJP chief Amit Shah had already expressed apprehension that the way "people's mandate has been ignored" in Karnataka, the state government will be run from 10 Janpath - the address of UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi.
Noting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing a rally at Baghpat on Sunday, had called for government to be run through "janmat (people's mandate)" and "not from Janpath", he said that this message should reach Kumaraswamy and the Congress.
"Today, Congress is celebrating, JD-S is celebrating but the people of Karnataka are not celebrating, they are sad," he claimed.
Patra said Modi and Shah had raised questions over Congress intentions in Karnataka, alleging that the Congress looks at Karnataka "as their ATM machine".
"After the statement of Kumaraswamy, we can say that the Congress has found a new manager for its ATM machine in Karnataka. Kumaraswamy has become the CM i.e. the Chief Manager of the Congress' ATM machine. The question is who is the Chief Minister of Karnataka?"
He also referred to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's remarks about "coalition compulsions", saying that Kumaraswamy's remarks had reminded of those words.
Kumaraswamy, who was in Delhi on Monday, sought to clarify his remarks, saying ally Congress had numbers that made its voice stronger in the coalition government.
"What mercy? They supported my party. According to their direction, I have to work. That is my responsibility," he told reporters in Delhi.