Bengaluru, Feb. 3 -- Chief minister Siddaramaiah used his formal reply to the debate on the Governor's address in the State Assembly to deliver a sweeping political and fiscal critique, defending his administration's welfare record while accusing the Union government of weakening federal principles and depriving the state of funds.

He began by raising objections to the manner in which the Governor delivered the joint-session address. "The Governor did not read the full speech. He left in haste without even mentioning the phrase 'Jai Constitution' that was part of the text. He did not wait until the national anthem concluded. This is not right," he said.

Referring to constitutional provisions, he added, "If Article 176 of the Constitutio...