BJP showing 'naked, power-hungry face': Congress

New Delhi: Slamming BJP over allegations that it was trying to poach away Aam Aadmi Party MLAs, Congress today claimed the saffron outfit had shown “its absolute, naked, power-hungry face” by engaging in such activities.

Accusing BJP of doing a “complete somersault and a volte face” on the issue of government formation in Delhi, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said given that it does not have the numbers, BJP can come to power either by ensuring abstentions or defections and both must involve inducements.  

“It is constitutionally immoral, morally indefensible and illegal,” he said, wondering what the reasons might be behind “this great desire (of BJP) to form the government now”.  

Singhvi said it was “a matter of great astonishment, indeed mystery” as to what had changed in the last eight months, with no change having occurred in the ground realities, to make BJP find it “necessary and desirable to form the government without elections”.  

“We (Congress) find it extremely disturbing, mysterious and inexplicable,” he said.

Congress general secretary BK Hariprasad and Singhvi claimed parallels could be drawn between the situation in Delhi and ‘Operation Kamala' in Karnataka when a number of Congress legislators had resigned only to become MLAs later on BJP tickets during the chief ministership of BS Yeddyurappa in 2009.

Delhi Lt Governor Najeeb Jung has come under attack from AAP over the issue of government formation but Singhvi today refrained from making a direct attack on the former saying he is not going to engage in loose talk on a person holding a constitutional post.

Meanwhile, vowing that Congress would fight on the streets against BJP's attempt to form a government in Delhi “by hook or by crook”, AICC Communication Department Chairman Ajay Maken said, “It clearly shows that BJP is (trying to) form the government simply by purchasing MLAs.  

“We expect that Supreme Court will take cognisance of the matter. We also hope that Supreme Court will order fresh elections in Delhi after the dissolution of the Assembly.” The apex court will on September 9 hear an AAP petition regarding the holding of fresh Assembly polls in Delhi.

Maken said that Supreme Court should take cognisance of the tape of the purported sting operation in which AAP MLA from Sangam Vihar, Dinesh Mohania, was allegedly offered Rs 4 crore by Delhi BJP Vice President Sher Singh Dagar to switch sides. BJP and Dagar have rejected the allegations.  

“We will come out on the streets to fight it if BJP tries to form the government in this manner through horse-trading.  We will not allow BJP to form the government through horse-trading... That is a betrayal of the people. There cannot be a bigger attack on democratic values,” Maken said.  

Hariprasad, who is the AICC general secretary in-charge for Chhattisgarh, claimed that that state had also witnessed a similar exercise as BJP had “forced” its candidate along with 10 Independents to withdraw their nominations for the Antagarh Assembly seat, where by-elections are due.  Smelling a “conspiracy” behind the episode, a delegation of Congress leaders from the state met Election Commission demanding the cancellation of the byelections there.  

“The Congress candidate, who withdrew from the contest at the last minute, was given Z-category security. This is not a new story. They have done a similar thing during ‘Operation Kamala' in Karnataka. They also did the same in Madhya Pradesh.

“In their zeal to make India Congress free, they (BJP) are striking at the root of democracy,” Hariprasad said.  Another party spokesperson and son of former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, Sandip Dikshit, said, “Not just here (Delhi). BJP is doing this across India. A large number of our party leaders moved away just before elections. In some states, like in Madhya Pradesh, our candidates switched over to BJP.

“So, obviously, everywhere money is being used, especially under the new leadership of BJP. The completely immoral face of BJP has come to the fore.”

Alleging that the sting operation involving the AAP MLA had shown the “absolute, naked, power-hungry face” of BJP, Sandip Dikshit linked the matter with the case of a number of Congress leaders joining the saffron party on the eve of Lok Sabha elections.