Slamming Congress’ accusations of “threatening” and “buying” its MLAs in Gujarat ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls, the BJP on Sunday said it had no role in the recent desertion by six of its legislators and wondered whether they were "purchasable".
It also said that the sole of aim of the Congress was to save its vice president Rahul Gandhi in the country and Ahmed Patel in Gujarat.
Taking a dig at the party after it ferried its MLAs to Bengaluru to keep its flock together ahead of the August 8 Rajya Sabha polls in Gujarat, Union minister Prakash Javadekar on Sunday said its lawmakers were "enjoying themselves" there while those of the BJP were busy providing relief to the flood-hit people in the state.
"Gujarat Congress leaders are levelling allegations at the BJP in Bengaluru. It is like a thief attacking a cop. If their leaders are leaving them, it has nothing to do with us," he told PTI after the Congress attacked the saffron party.
Javadekar noted that senior Congress leaders like Shankersinh Vaghela, a former chief minister and the leader of opposition, its chief whip Balwantsinh Rajput and its spokesperson Tejashreeben Patel have left the party and wondered if the opposition party was suggesting that they could be "bought".
"They are all strong leaders. Nobody can purchase them. The Congress should look inwards and think why such senior leaders are leaving it. The truth is that its only goal is to save Rahul Gandhi in the country and Ahmed Patel in Gujarat," he said.
Patel is seeking re-election to the Rajya Sabha from Gujarat but defection by a number of Congress MLAs has left the party worried.
The BJP has fielded Rajput, who quit the Congress on Thursday, against Ahmed Patel to further queer his pitch.
The Congress was growing weak across the country and it was not BJP's fault, Javadekar said.
(With PTI inputs)
