Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], May 17 (NT): Congress MLAs and leaders, including GN Azad, Ashok Gehlot and Siddaramaiah, gathered at Mahatma Gandhi's statue in Vidhan Soudha to protest against BS Yeddyurappa's swearing in as CM of Karnataka.

To support protest at Mahatma Gandhi's statue in Vidhan Soudha, against BS Yeddyurappa's swearing in as CM of Karnataka senior leders of Congress GN Azad, Ashok Gehlot, Mallikarjun Kharge, KC Venugopal and Siddaramaiah were present.

Today BS Yeddyurappa took oath as the 23rd chief minister of Karnataka after the Supreme Court in the early hours of today morning decided not to put a stay on the swearing-in during conducting a post-midnight hearing.  He arrived at Raj Bhavan for swearing-in ceremony at 9 AM.

With bundle of anger Siddaramaiah, Congress in Bengaluru asserted that the matter is pending before the Court and we will go to the people to tell them how BJP is going against the Constitution .

Congress also alleged that the BJP’s irrational insistence that it will form a Govt. in Karnataka, even though it clearly doesn’t have the majority numbers (112), is to make a mockery of our Constitution.

Rahul Gandhi tweeted , “This morning, while the BJP celebrates its hollow victory, India will mourn the defeat of democracy”.

Meanwhile Swearing-in ceremony of BS Yeddyurappa as the 23 rd Chief Minister of Karnataka concluded 9 AM in the presence of Union Ministers JP Nadda, Dharmendra Pradhan and Prakash Javadekar at Raj Bhavan Karnataka.

Heavy Security deployed outside BJP office in Bengaluru.