BJP trampling on institutions, people's mandate: Congress

New Delhi: The Congress on Wednesday said it will do everything under constitutional legalities and rule of law to ensure sentiments and mandate of people defeat the 'sinister design' of the BJP.

It questioned the role of governors in Goa and Manipur and whether the Supreme Court erred in appreciating the unequivocal constitutional position that the single largest party is invited first to form a government.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala also alleged that it is clear that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's brand of "new India" is founded on "defections rather than elections" and noted that democracy has been a casualty in this charade orchestrated by the BJP in Goa and Manipur.

"The BJP that claims to be a 'party with a difference' have truly demonstrated their 'difference' by trampling on institutions and the mandate of people," he said in a blog.

Surjewala said this "trend of destabilising and toppling legitimately elected governments initiated by BJP and pre-empting formation of duly-elected party formations by using money and muscle power is disturbing and constitutes a direct threat to the very foundation of our nation".

"In a liberal democracy that rests on the will of the people, the means to an end is as important as the end itself. This is not an affront to the Congress party but to India's democracy. Each one of us needs to rise up to meet this diabolical challenge," he said.

At the AICC briefing, party spokesperson Sushmita Dev said it is a challenge Congress wants to take up and will fight hard without resorting to any means or resources that are not within the permitted lines of persuasion and which are outside the law.

"I can only hope that tomorrow, in the vote on the floor test in Goa Assembly, the aspirations of people of Goa, the hopes of people of Goa are not dashed to the floor.

"The Congress party will do everything in its power but within the legalities of the Constitution and the rule of law to ensure that sentiments and popular vote and mandate of people of Goa defeats the sinister design of BJP," she said.

Taking on Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for what it dubbed as an "irrelevant banter" on Congress, Dev asked why the oath- taking ceremony happened under police security in Goa.

"Today the oath of a governor-appointed CM has to take place in security, is the clearest unequivocal signal that they are afraid of the mandate of people that they are not with them," she said, adding that when Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar was taking oath, people were sloganeering "He is not our CM".