Karnataka Assembly witnessed high drama as Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot walked out after reading just two lines of his speech. His objection to references on the controversial G RAM G law sparked chaos, protests, and a fresh constitutional showdown.
Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot walked out of the state Assembly without completing his customary address
Bengaluru: A major constitutional confrontation unfolded on Thursday when Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot walked out of the state Assembly without completing his customary address at the start of the Budget session. The Governor objected to references made to the controversial ‘G RAM G’ law in the government-drafted speech, triggering chaos inside the House.
The Governor began his address by reading just two lines in Hindi, stating that his government was committed to the economic, social and physical development of the state, before concluding with “Jai Hind, Jai Karnataka.” He then abruptly stopped, rose from his seat, and walked out of the Assembly.
As he exited, Congress MLAs raised slogans and attempted to surround him, prompting marshals to step in and escort the Governor out amid loud protests.
Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot walked out of the Assembly during the Budget session after refusing to read portions of the government's address that referred to the G Ram G law and MGNREGA overhaul, citing them as government propaganda. #karnataka #GRAMG @TCGEHLOT…
— Dynamite News (@DynamiteNews_) January 22, 2026
According to sources, the Governor objected to nearly 11 paragraphs in the speech prepared by the Congress-led government. These sections reportedly criticised the Centre and referred to the replacement of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with the new G RAM G law.
Gehlot is said to have argued that the address amounted to political propaganda rather than a neutral constitutional speech. The disputed portions alleged that the Centre had weakened rural employment guarantees, undermined Panchayati Raj institutions, and diluted the Gandhian vision of village self-rule. The Governor reportedly insisted that these references be removed.
My response to the Governor’s conduct in refusing to read the Cabinet-prepared address and instead delivering a speech drafted by himself, in violation of constitutional norms:
By not reading the address prepared by the Cabinet at the first joint session of the year, the Hon’ble… pic.twitter.com/kAkWkPFZe1
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) January 22, 2026
A day before the session, a delegation led by Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister HK Patil met the Governor in an effort to resolve the disagreement. While the state government reportedly agreed to delete a few sentences, consensus could not be reached on the remaining paragraphs, setting the stage for Thursday’s dramatic walkout.
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Chief Minister Siddaramaiah reacted sharply, accusing the Governor of violating constitutional conventions. He stated that the Cabinet-approved speech must be read in full and alleged that Gehlot delivered a version prepared by himself instead. Siddaramaiah claimed the Governor was acting under pressure from the Centre and said the government would consider approaching the Supreme Court over the issue.
The Karnataka incident comes amid growing tensions between governors and elected state governments across the country. Similar scenes were witnessed recently in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, where governors either walked out or omitted portions of their Assembly addresses, citing inaccuracies or disagreements with the drafted text. Meanwhile, the Karnataka Raj Bhavan has yet to issue an official statement on the walkout.
