HYDERABAD: It is a “mean culture” and height of “cruelty”, Opposition leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said, attacking the ruling TRS for engineering defections of Congress MLAs into the TRS. Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao could not answer the questions raised by the Opposition that was the reason he was wiping out the Opposition party, Bhatti told reporters here on Thursday.
He dared TRS chief to ask the defected Congress MLAs to resign and contest again. “Is encouraging defections becomes governance? Why are you scared of Opposition? Stifling the voice of the Opposition is not politics. It is shameful to feel great about defections,” Bhatti said. The Opposition leader recalled that TRS chief Rao wished to give a new direction to the country.
“Is it the direction Rao wanted to provide at national politics? Is it ideal?” Bhatti wondered. Encouraging defections and feeling great about them was nothing but “political bankruptcy”, Bhatti said. Bhatti alleged that Rao started encouraging defections immediately after the announcement of schedule for the MLC polls. Bhatti recalled that Rao encouraged defections in his previous term too. KCR wanted to eliminate the Opposition as he could not answer the questions raised by the Opposition leaders, Bhatti said.
“There is a culture in the country to respect the Opposition. But, against that culture, KCR is now pursuing demonical rule stifling the voice of the Opposition. By threatening the Opposition MLAs with his power and money, KCR is forcibly luring them into TRS,” Bhatti alleged.
Meanwhile, in comments aimed at defected Cong MLAs, Bhatti said: “You were pledging the confidence of the voters and sacrifices of the Congress workers to the ruling party for the sake of money and shamelessly joining TRS.” Asking Rao to stop encouraging the defections immediately, Bhatti threatened that “Congress would take the matter to peoples’ court”.