By Balu Pulipaka
Copyright deccanchronicle
HYDERABAD: The BRS has said it hopes that the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly will take a decision as per law in the case of 10 MLAs elected on BRS tickets and later joined the Congress. “Even as they make feeble claims that will not stand scrutiny that they are still in the BRS, the fact is no matter what they try, they cannot escape. Even if they escape here, they cannot do so from the courts,” senior BRS leader, MLA and former minister G. Jagadish Reddy said.They betrayed the party that gave them an opportunity, and defected for personal gains. They are trying to escape on technical grounds for as long as possible, that is their effort. If they wish, they can publicly acknowledge that they made a mistake, and resign. Or they can meet KCR (BRS chief K. Chandrashekar Rao) and tell him that they went to the Congress hoping for development of their constituencies, acknowledge their mistakes, and seek forgiveness,” Jagadish Reddy said. Jagadish Reddy was speaking with reporters after he, along with his fellow party legislators K.P. Vivekanand Goud, and Chinta Prabhakar submitted their case for the disqualification of the turncoat MLAs to the assistant secretary of the Assembly on Monday. He said, “All the 10 MLAs are clutching at straws to save themselves from a flood. We hope the Speaker will take a decision as per the anti-defection laws, which were brought in by the Congress. Since there is time given by the Supreme Court for the Speaker to act, we will wait till then. The turncoat MLAs will have to resign, bypolls will come, and the people will teach them a lesson when the time comes.” Answering a question, he said eight of the turncoat MLAs submitted their explanations to the Speaker on their party allegiance and these were given to the complainants who were asked if they had any comments on the responses. “In the three days given to us we put together documents with proofs including photographs published in newspapers and other media, and video clips proving that the 10 MLAs joined the Congress, and that they were with the Congress and took part in that party’s activities and that they were not with the BRS,” he said. “But even now, they continue to make feeble protests in their defence. They say they are innocent, and that they met with the Chief Minister to discuss constituency development. One of them said he did not know that the Congress party scarf the CM draped on him was that of the party and now says he thought it represented the Indian flag,” Jagadish Reddy said.
