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KCR says BJP buying MLAs; party hits back
KCR on Thursday accused the BJP leadership of trying to topple democratically-elected governments in four non-BJP-ruled states, releasing purported evidence from a sting operation carried out by the state police.
Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Thursday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party leadership of trying to topple democratically-elected governments in four non-BJP-ruled states, releasing purported evidence from a sting operation carried out by the state police.
Rao, or KCR as he is popularly called, released to the media video files and other material related to the conversation between three accused – Ramachandra Bharati from Faridabad, Nanda Kumar from Hyderabad and Simhayaji Swamy from Tirupati -- and the four TRS MLAs whom they tried to poach at a farmhouse on the outskirts of Hyderabad on October 26.
HT could not independently verify the authenticity of the videos in which the accused took the names of top BJP leaders as part of poaching the four TRS MLAs – Pilot Rohit Reddy, Guvvala Balaraju (Achampet), Rega Kantha Rao (Pinapaka) and B Harshavardhan Reddy (Kollapur).
The video also purportedly showed how Bharati was offering ₹50 crore to each MLA.
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The chief minister said the videos, which run into nearly three hours, apart from the call data records and other documents seized by the Cyberabad police during their sting operation on the farmhouse had been submitted to the high court while seeking the judicial remand of the accused.
“We are sending the entire material evidence to Chief Justice of India UU Lalit, all Supreme Court judges and chief justices of all high courts to make them understanding the conspiracy hatched by the BJP leadership to topple the democratically-elected state governments,” he said, appealing the judiciary to step in to save democracy in the country.
“They were clearly seen saying how they would topple the Telangana government, after which they would target the governments in Delhi, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan. I immediately alerted Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal about the same,” the chief minister claimed.
Telangana BJP official spokesman N V Subhash said there was nothing new in KCR’s revelations and alleged the sting was stage-managed. “The BJP doesn’t indulge in any such dramas, if it wants to attract any MLAs from any party. It will straightaway ask them to resign from their posts and join the party. There is no need to spend money to poach anybody,” he said.
He said KCR’s whole objective was to create fear among other opposition parties in the country that the BJP would topple their governments.
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Rao said he would also send the evidence to central investigation agencies like the CBI, Enforcement Directorate and Central Vigilance Commission, besides directors general of police of all states to independently probe the conspiracy.
Rao said the conspiracy was at least a month old when Ramachandra Bharathi had come into contact with one of the four MLAs, Rohit Reddy, and started negotiations with him to lure the TRS MLAs.
“Reddy informed me and we immediately lodged a complaint with the police seeking investigation. That is how we managed to expose the entire conspiracy,” he said.
