BRS plans to knock on SC doors against Congress over defections

KTR says they will take all opportunities to expose the hypocrisy and double-standards of the grand old party

Hyderabad: The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has decided to intensify its fight against the Congress for encouraging unlawful defection of MLAs in Telangana. The party working president KT Rama Rao said they would take all opportunities to expose the hypocrisy and double-standards of the Congress, before the people.

Rama Rao along with former Minister T Harish Rao had stayed put in Delhi and consulted several legal and constitutional experts to explore ways to approach the Supreme Court seeking disqualification of the defected elected representatives.

---

“We have already submitted our petitions before the Telangana Assembly Speaker and the Telangana High Court, seeking disqualification of the defected MLAs. We will take further steps based on the outcome,” he said.

Speaking to the media in Delhi on Tuesday, Rama Rao revealed plans to approach President Droupadi Murmu, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and the Election Commission of India in this regard.

The party is also mulling over holding a meeting of like-minded political parties at the Constitution Club to discuss the way forward. The party invited all the victims of the BJP and the Congress to come together for a joint fight against the defections.

The BRS working president stated that the Congress raised curtains for the defections and introduced the ‘Aayaram-Gayaram’ culture in India, but the same party introduced the Anti-Defection Law in 1987. Once again, the Congress is encouraging defections in Telangana, in utter violation of the same Anti-Defection Law.

“The Congress has been making tall claims with respect to being the saviour and vanguard of constitution. Rahul Gandhi who flaunts the Constitution of India before the media and makes huge cry over its violation by the BJP, were also responsible for its desecration,” he remarked.

Rama Rao pointed out that the Congress, which is encouraging defections in Telangana, was making huge cry over defection of its MLAs into BJP and other political parties in States such as Goa, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana among others.

“Rahul Gandhi made Congress candidates in Goa to take oath against defecting to other parties. When Congress MLAs joined the BJP in Karnataka, Siddharamaiah claimed that the BJP purchased them for Rs 50 crore. Even in its manifesto, the Congress promised to amend the Schedule 10 of the constitution to ensure automatic disqualification of elected representatives upon defection,” he reminded.

Further, he took potshots at Congress Lok Sabha leader Rahul Gandhi for delivering an Oscar-level acting by holding the Constitution in Parliament, and shortly thereafter shaking hands with BRS defected MLA Pocharam Srinivas Reddy welcoming him into the party. “What sort of hypocrisy is this?” he questioned.

Responding to a question, the BRS working president stated that there is a huge difference between merger and defection. He pointed out that during the BRS regime, political parties have merged in the BRS Legislative Party as per the Constitutional provisions, while the Congress is encouraging defections.

“If the two-thirds of a legislative party merges, even the Supreme Court cannot do anything. But the Telangana Chief Minister is going to the houses of BRS MLAs during late nights and poaching them against the law,” he added. Former Minister T Harish Rao, BRS Rajya Sabha floor leader KR Suresh Reddy, BRS MPs Vaddiraju Ravichandra, D Damodar Rao and B Parthasarathi Reddy also participated.