Alleging that the BJP is trying to woo its legislators with an offer of ₹100 crore and a Cabinet berth, former Chief Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) State president H.D. Kumaraswamy on Wednesday said that it will boomerang on the party if it indulged in horse-trading.
Firing a salvo at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mr. Kumaraswamy asked at a press meet, “Where is that money coming from when Prime Minister Narendra Modi is preaching anti-corruption? They have to clarify whether the money offered to my party MLAs is black or white. Where is the money? Have they kept it in the BJP’s treasury? What is Income Tax department doing about it?”
Warns he will hit back
He claimed that the BJP had from Tuesday contacted many MLA-elects. “I am not a sanyasi to watch the developments quietly. If they get into horse-trading, we will also hit back to take double that number from them (BJP). About 10 to 15 MLA-elects in the BJP are willing to come out,” Mr. Kumaraswamy said, soon after being elected as the legislative party leader of JD(S).
Stating that the BJP was in a hurry to form the government, he said: “One cannot forget Operation Kamala in 2008 when in the first phase 8 MLAs were made to resign. A sum of ₹25 crore to ₹30 crore was sent in police vehicles and ambulances,” he said, adding that such an exercise “will boomerang this time.”
Referring to Mr. Modi’s statement on Tuesday, he said: “Being the Prime Minister of the country he said that he will not give an opportunity to the post-poll alliance of JD(S)-Congress. This when the BJP does not have a clear majority. This statement comes out of the arrogance of power and how it will be misused is anyone’s guess. (BJP president) Amit Shah can say that as a party president, but not the Prime Minister who is in a responsible position.”
“Probably in the nation’s history, constitutional authorities have not been misused to threaten the opposition into submission in this manner. People should see how the income tax machinery is being misused and how IT officials behave,” he added.
