Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday accused the BJP of 'trying to buy' 20 or 30 MLAs of the ruling TRS and topple his government and claimed that 'brokers' from Delhi offered the sitting legislators Rs 100 crore each.
Addressing a poll rally at bypoll-bound Munugode segment, Rao said, however, the legislators, who are 'sons of the soil,' rebuffed the offer.
Hitting back, the BJP said the MLAs were not worth Rs 100 crore and asserted it had no intention of toppling the TRS government.
Rao said, "You have seen yesterday. (BJP thinks) there is one KCR who is talking loudly. Let's see his (political) end. They have sent brokers to buy each MLA for Rs 100 crore. They wanted to buy 20 or 30 MLAs and topple KCR's government and encroach Telangana so that they can implement privatisation as per their will."
His statement comes a day after three people who tried to "poach" four TRS legislators were arrested and remanded to judicial custody.
The CM paraded all the four legislators during the public meeting, praising them that such people were required in politics.
Based on a complaint by P Rohith Reddy, one of the TRS legislators, cases under relevant sections - criminal conspiracy, offering bribe and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 - were filed against Ramachandra Bharati alias Satish Sharma, Nanda Kumar and Simhayaji Swamy -- on October 26 night.
According to the FIR copy, Rohith Reddy alleged that the accused offered him Rs 100 crore and in return the legislator had to leave the TRS and contest as a BJP candidate in the upcoming Assembly elections.
"Four sons of soil (MLAs) came with me (today for the meeting). Day before yesterday some Delhi brokers came to buy our Telangana self-respect and offered Rs 100 crore. But our sons of soil hit them with their left footwear saying they were not for sale," the CM said, adding they wanted to purchase the legislators like "cattle" in the open market.
Rao sought a reply from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on whether such things were good for society.
"Who provided Rs 100 crore that was offered to the MLAs? Inquiry has to be done into this. Who is behind the issue? Are they (whoever masterminded the issue) entitled to continue in their respective posts?" Rao asked.
He further said people's silence on these 'poaching' issues will become a curse one day. Urging people to vote for TRS candidate Prabhakar Reddy in the bypoll, Rao alleged that the BJP was mandating installation of electricity meters for agriculture pump sets and asking domestic consumers to replace their electricity meters, which would cost Rs 30,000 each.
According to Rao, there is no country in the world, except India, that has 50 per cent irrigable land and a conspiracy was being hatched to handover farmlands to corporates, though the nation has sufficient manpower and other resources.
Rao also promised that all pending works in Munugode will be completed on time. PTI GDK SA
Responding to Rao's charges, senior BJP leader and Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy said: "Today you call them Delhi brokers. I am asking. Through brokerism (sic) only you encouraged all the MLAs who have joined your party earlier."
He sought to know if any of the BJP leaders had gone to TRS MLAs' farmhouse or promised money to them. "Do we have so much money? Are they such great MLAs so that each one would cost Rs 100 crore?" he asked.
"I am conveying one thing. KCR garu, we have no intention of toppling your government. You may have the idea of toppling your own government and acquire sympathy so that it becomes an agenda in the elections. Our party does not have such intentions.
Already you have lost your respect among people. People are loathing you and your party," Reddy told a press conference.
