Shillong , May 18: The opposition Congress in Meghalaya staged a protest on Friday against the decision of Karnataka Governor who invited the BJP which is in minority to form the government and accused the saffron party of attempting to twist the anti-defection law .

“The BJP is even trying to twist the anti-defection law and this is where in the years to come our democracy will face some unwanted things. Many things will happen if we keep twisting the law through unfair means,” Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) chief Celestine Lyngdoh said.

The protest was organised at Congress Bhavan where party leaders, workers and and MLAs took part.

Former home minister HDR Lyngdoh, and few Congress MLAs including, Ampareen Lyngdoh, George B. Lyngdoh, and H.M. Shangpliang besides party functionaries and workers joined the protest and shouted anti-BJP slogans.

Some of the placards read – “We protest against murder of democracy, violation of democracy, negation of law, subjugation of every known principle and judgement of supreme court,” “make Karnataka BJP government through exchange”, “BJP misuse position of Governor”.

After the protest, the MPCC sent a petition to President Ram Nath Kovind through Raj Bhavan urging him to safeguard democratic principle and sanctity of the Constitution of India.

“Democracy is in danger with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah giving dictates to every constitutional functionary to act unconstitutionally and illegally,” the petition said.

It also said that the Karnataka governor Vajubhai Vala has colluded with the BJP to subvert the democracy in Karnataka by inviting the BJP leaders to take oath of office & secrecy despite the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) combine had submitted a list of MLAs which is more than the required number to form the government.

In Karnataka, the BJP has 104 MLAs, and the Congress-JD(S) combine has 116 MLAs. Any party or a combination of parties need to get 112 MLAs to form the government in Karnataka.

The Congress also questioned governors in other states like Goa, Manipur and Meghalaya who did not invited the Congress which is the single largest party to form the government as it happened in Karnataka.

The Congress also cited recent examples of Goa (March 2017), Manipur (March 2017) and Meghalaya (March 2018), where the Congress emerged as single largest party, but the BJP and post-poll coalition partners were invited to form the government on the principle that they had clear majority.