The Karnataka Budget session began on a tense note on Thursday as Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot delivered only two lines of his customary address to the joint session of the state legislature before refusing to continue. The incident came amid a standoff over paragraphs in the speech referring to the controversial MGNREGA overhaul and other central government policies.

Karnataka: Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot leaves after addressing the joint session of the state Assembly pic.twitter.com/YAPWYAq9Ml

— IANS (@ians_india) January 22, 2026

Governor Gehlot reportedly objected to 11 paragraphs of the speech prepared by the state government, alleging they contained government propaganda. The refusal to read the full address mirrors similar incidents in other non-BJP states, including Tamil Nadu and Kerala, where governors had either walked out or omitted portions of their speeches over disputed content.

The Governor was welcomed at Vidhana Soudha by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Assembly Speaker U T Khader, Legislative Council Chairman Basavaraj Horatti, and Law Minister H K Patil, but the session quickly turned into a political standoff.

Reacting to the Governor’s action, Law Minister H K Patil told reporters, “Article 176(1) of the Constitution clearly states that the Governor must deliver the full address prepared by the cabinet. The speech is simply a declaration of government policies and programmes. Cutting it short is a betrayal of the Constitution.”

Patil also criticised the BJP leaders for questioning the government’s constitutional position. He said, “Who is violating Articles 176 and 163? All facts stated in the speech are true. Yet the Governor refuses to read it. Has Raj Bhavan become the BJP office?”