NEW DELHI: The Congress on Saturday blamed the BJP for the resignations of 14 MLAs of the ruling coalition in Karnataka, alleging that the Narendra Modi government was "orchestrating the defections". The strong reaction of the party came after 13 legislators of the ruling Congress-JDS alliance in Karnataka submitted their resignation to the Speaker. The ruling coalition has 118 members in the 224-member Assembly.

Congress media in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala said: "We deprecate the efforts of the BJP to buy our legislators, to pressurise legislators into resigning in order to bring down an elected government in Karnataka."

Attacking the Modi government, he said: "Aaya Ram, Gaya Ram have attained a new definition in India. The new word for Aaya Ram, Gaya ram is MODI -- michiveously orchestrating defections in India."

"A new symbol of horse-trading politics has emerged in the country."

"(Prime Minister Narendra) Modiji and the BJP need to be aware that the Karnataka government which is a joint government by the Congress and the Janata Dal-Secular having complete majority under our democratic setup is now sought to be pulled down by a spate of defections and resignations."

"MLAs are being bought in broad daylight. Democracy is being denigrated in broad daylight, the Constitution is being trampled in broad daylight in Karnataka by the BJP government at the Centre."

Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister and BJP president Amit Shah, Surjewala said if those who swear by the Constitution and hold such high offices are going to "abdicate" their duty towards the Constitution, there will be no democracy left in the country.

"We deprecate the efforts of the BJP to buy over legislators, to pressurise legislators into resigning to bring down an elected government in Karnataka," he said, asserting that the BJP has made such moves in other states in the past as well.

The 'aaya ram, gaya ram' phenomenon refers to the practice of MLAs defecting to other parties.

"It all started in Arunachal Pradesh when an entire government was made to defect twice over. It went to Assam and Manipur. It went to Tripura and Goa. It happened in Uttarkhand and Gujarat. Recently it happened in Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Telangana, Haryana and Maharashtra," Surjewala said.

(With inputs from agencies)