Legislators of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Karnataka Assembly on Wednesday disrupted the address of Governor Vajubhai Vala with slogans against the ruling Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition. Vala walked out of the House without finishing his speech, The News Minute reported.

The Budget Session that began on Wednesday is the first sitting of the House since allegations of horse-trading by both the Opposition and the ruling coalition last month. The BJP had then flown 101 of its 104 MLAs to Gurugram. The Congress, too, had summoned its legislators amid reports that some of them were working with the BJP to topple the government.

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In Assembly elections held in May 2018, the BJP had emerged the single largest party, but the other two parties tied up to form government.

BJP MLAs entered the Well of the House when Vala started his customary address during a joint sitting of the state legislature on the first day of the Budget Session, PTI reported. They asked him not to deliver his speech and told him, “You are made to read lies.”

BJP leader R Ashoka demanded to know how the government would get the Budget passed if it did not have the support of nearly half the MLAs. Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, who holds the finance portfolio, will present his government’s Budget on Friday.

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“We don’t want a bundle of lies to be read,” the Opposition party MLAs shouted. “Down down... the government that has lost majority and trust.”

Vala read only two pages of his 22-page speech and reprimanded the MLAs.

State BJP chief BS Yeddyurappa defended the party’s decision to walk out. “No development is going on, there is infighting within the cabinet,” he told reporters according to ANI. “That is why we boycotted the governor’s speech. We are not going to move a no-confidence motion.” Yeddyurappa said the Opposition party was just “waiting and watching”.

However, Congress leader DK Shivakumar, when asked what would happen if the BJP moved a no-confidence motion, said, “Let them try”. He also claimed it was shocking that BJP legislators were showing “frustration” during the governor’s speech.