New Delhi: Hours after eight Goa MLAs joined the BJP, the Congress on Wednesday said the saffron party was "nervous" over Bharat Jodo Yatra and was resorting to "unfair means to destabilize" the grand old party.
“This is an example of Operation Lotus. This is the biggest example of corruption and misuse of central agencies. I don’t know if the MLAs have gone there under pressure from CBI or ED or if they were lured by post or money. Those who join them become clean and the agencies are let loose against the others,” Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said.
The poaching of party MLAs, she said, took place because the BJP is "nervous" over public response to the Bharat Jodo yatra, being led by Rahul Gandhi. “The yatra has moved earth beneath their feet. They are talking about what he wears, who he meets, where he sleeps and then even brought in religion but nothing seems to be working. But the real issues are price rise and unemployment hence this is being done now,” said Shrinate.
“But you can go on. The people will show you your place. The people of Tamil Nadu and Kerala have done that and the rest of the country will follow suit. You think we will be afraid but we will go on,” she said.
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Asked if the party would talk to the MLAs to bring them back, the Congress leader said it was not that the party had no clue about what was going on in Goa but there was no point talking to people for whom ideology was not important.
“All these MLAs had asked for votes against the BJP. Now with what face will they join the BJP? Doing politics of values has become difficult in this country. There is no point talking to those who are willing to compromise their principles,” she said.
Congress communications in-charge Jairam Ramesh termed the exit of party MLAs as part of operation slush, which was fast tracked to counter the success of the yatra. “A daily dose of disinformation and diversion is handed out to undermine the yatra. We remain undeterred. We will overcome these dirty tricks of the BJP,” he said.
According to AICC in charge of Goa Dinesh Gundu Rao the people voted for the eight leaders as they were Congress nominees. “The Congress MLAs had sworn in front of temple, church and dargah that they will not defect to the BJP. They also gave affidavits that they will always be with the Congress and took a pledge on the constitution,” said Rao.
Also read: Operation Lotus strengthens in Goa: 8 Cong MLAs join BJP
“Isn’t it the height of betrayal and shamelessness by Digambar Kamat and Michael Lobo,” he said. Party insiders averred the crisis in the Goa unit had been brewing for a while and the BJP was at work even after the Congress managers averted a split recently.
During that episode, Gundu Rao had removed Lobo as the CLP leader and had censured Kamat, a former chief minister, for anti-party activities. He had alleged the two leaders were playing into the hands of the BJP to weaken the Congress. Later, the two claimed they were still with the Congress but were being watched by the AICC.
The BJP was already in majority in Goa Assembly and there was no pressing need for it to lure the Congress lawmakers, said party insiders, adding that it was a response to both the Bharat Jodo yatra as well to the Congress exposing union minister Smriti Irani over an illegal restaurant in Goa allegedly being run by her daughter.
