Moments after BJP president Amit Shah’s press conference on the Karnataka verdict , the Congress on Monday accused the BJP of spending ₹6,500 crore on the elections and keeping another huge sum to ‘poach’ its MLAs.
Addressing a press conference, senior Congress leader Anand Sharma said, “Let there be an independent probe as to what efforts they made in Karnataka.”
Mr. Sharma said the mandate was clearly for the Janata Dal (Secular) and the Congress alliance and the Congress, on its own, had increased its share of popular vote by two per cent.
‘By hook or by crook’
“The BJP used all means to win Karnataka but it failed. Everyone in the country saw how the BJP misused money and power to in a bid to win the State at any cost, by hook or by crook. The BJP is not ashamed of what it did in Karnataka,” he said.
He also hit out at the BJP chief for for not respecting the law and the Constitution.
“I don’t think Amit Shah has knowledge of or respect for the Constitution. Even if he has the knowledge of the Constitution, he doesn’t respect it. They were trying to poach MLAs,” Mr. Sharma said.
“What they (BJP) have done during and after the polls is shameful. They should apologise to the people of Karnataka,” he added.
Accusing the BJP of double speak and taking away the Congress mandate in Goa, Manipur and even Bihar, Mr. Sharma said, “They stole our government in Arunachal Pradesh. They think people are fools and don’t understand these things. What Mr. Amit Shah has said is a travesty of truth.”
The Congress also targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for lowering the dignity of his office by speaking “untruths” to garner votes.
“An ambassador of an important country met me a few days back and told me that your PM is a master of propaganda and has become a case study in a number of universities,” Mr. Sharma claimed.
He said the BJP should observe May 26, the fourth anniversary of the Modi government as a day of “penance for cheating the people of India.”
