BJP reducing politics to commercial transactions, says Cong.

Charge comes ahead of crucial November 3 byelections in Gujarat

October 18, 2020 09:40 pm | Updated 09:41 pm IST - NEW DELHI

Abhishek Manu Singhvi

Abhishek Manu Singhvi

The Congress on Sunday accused the BJP of reducing politics to dukaandari (commercial transaction) and claimed that the party’s former MLAS, who had defected to the BJP earlier this year, have now openly admitted to “receiving diverse offers in the past”.

Addressing a virtual press conference, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi demanded a judicial inquiry by a sitting Supreme Court or a High Court judge and the filing of charges against defectors under the Prevention of Corruption Act and criminal charges under the Indian Penal Code.

“They have eliminated the distinction between Dukandari and political fighting of battles,” he said.

The allegations come just ahead of the crucial November 3 byelections in Gujarat in which eight constituencies will go to vote after their MLAs had resigned in February-March.

“The people of India elect legislators for a minimum of five years. The BJP ensures that the constitutional and democratic mandate is actually a mandate of only 2 or 3 years. It is curtailed, interrupted, obstructed to 2-3 years by large sums of money, large number of resignations, offering of ministerships and MLA tickets,” Mr. Singhvi alleged. “The government, instead of focusing on fighting COVID or China, spends all its energies on allowing such things.”

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