NEW DELHI : Launching a scathing attack on the BJP, the Congress on Wednesday said that after the Supreme Court struck down the electoral bond scheme, the saffron party has formulated ‘plan B’ for seeking funding and is straight away inducting people supporting the outfit monetarily.
The diatribe was made in reference to former Karnataka minister and mining baron G Janardhana Reddy, who rejoined the BJP on Monday ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Questioning the move, Congress leader Pawan Khera asked why was a red carpet laid out for Reddy who has been facing several cases before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
“Now that Reddy has joined the BJP, the CBI will give him a clean chit and he will shine. When the people accused of corruption join hands with the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, they are exonerated. It happens every week and every month… After banning donation through electoral bonds by the Supreme Court, this is plan B of BJP; direct partnership with people. Induct them who has given money or supposed to give money. No covering up of things now,” said Khera, who heads the Media and Publicity Department of Congress.
The Gangavathi MLA, who is an accused in an illegal mining case, had set up the ‘Kalyana Rajya Pragati Paksha’ (KRPP) ahead of the state assembly polls last year, snapping his two-decade-old association with the BJP. Earlier, Reddy met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the national capital.
Interestingly, in the recently held Rajya Sabha polls he had thrown his weight behind the Congress candidate.
Tearing into the BJP further, the Congress leader said that people who are accused of corruption in any of the states be it in West Bengal, Karnataka or any other state are given full protection by the BJP.
In such cases, despite the presence of evidence along with the Lokayukta report, why are such individuals still being taken into the BJP party fold, the Congress wondered.
“What are the compulsions? Why does the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with his saffron party, want to protect Reddy? For leaders of the opposition, there are ED and CBI. A red carpet is being laid for the person who is already facing cases before CBI and ED. With these inductions, your tall claims to eliminate corruption turn out to be nothing but hollow promises,” stated Khera.
‘Accused given full protection by BJP’
Tearing into the BJP, Congress leader Pawan Khera said that people who are accused of corruption in any of the states be it in West Bengal, Karnataka or any other state are given full protection by the BJP. In such cases, despite the presence of evidence along with the Lokayukta report, why are such individuals still being taken into the BJP party fold, the Congress leader wondered.