HYDERABAD: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders slammed Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao for claiming to be saving democracy and accusing the BJP of orchestrating the poachgate scandal involving four TRS MLAs, saying he was nervous and his government “weak”.
In response to the CM’s claims at Thursday’s press conference that the BJP had enticed TRS MLAs with cash, Union minister G. Kishan Reddy stated in New Delhi, “There was nothing new in KCR’s allegations. Nothing in the videos showed that BJP was trying to bring down his government. The KCR government is weak. KCR dreamed up this entire episode. By going over the so-called evidence that was already in public domain, he displayed his nervousness and fear.”
“I’ve been in the Union Cabinet for four years,” he continued. “If there is anything related to Telangana, I would know. We do not want the TRS government to fall. It will disappear anyway when the next general elections come. The BJP has no need to involve outsiders.”
In a series of tweets, BJP vice-president D.K. Aruna said, “KCR talking about democracy is laughable. The BJP follows democratic methods and gains power in states with the support of the people. The BJP will not rest until every penny looted by the TRS government and its leaders in Telangana is recovered.”
Tarun Chugh, BJP general secretary in-charge of Telangana affairs, said that the Chief Minister could not bring himself to the Yadadri temple to swear under oath that neither he nor the TRS was involved in the poachgate case. “Our state unit president said under oath that the BJP was not involved or attempted to bribe TRS MLAs,” Chugh said in a statement.
“KCR is trying to fool the people of the state, spreading the canard of political defections in the run-up to the Munugode bypoll,” he said. After failing miserably to deliver on his promises to the people, it is time for him to leave the stage and make way for the BJP.”
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