New Delhi: Reacting to the ongoing leaving of MLAs from the BRS to the Congress, BRS working president and former minister K T Rama Rao (KTR) criticized Rahul Gandhi's stance on party defections in Telangana. Since last year, at least half a dozen of the 39 BRS MLAs and at least eight MLCs have defected to Congress after the party came to power.


During a press conference in Delhi on Tuesday, KTR highlighted Rahul Gandhi's promises in the Panch Nyay document to bolster anti-defection laws, accusing Congress of hypocrisy in Telangana.


In a recent speech at Tukkuguda in Hyderabad, Rahul Gandhi asserted that defectors would lose their membership. However, KTR pointed out that BRS MLAs who had defected to Congress were sharing the stage with Rahul Gandhi.


KTR accused Rahul Gandhi of behavior worthy of an Oscar, noting that despite making Congress candidates in Goa take an oath against defections, Congress MLAs in Karnataka, Haryana, and Maharashtra were allegedly bought by the BJP. Now, he said, Congress leaders are wooing BRS MLAs in Telangana.


Holding a copy of the Constitution, KTR urged the public to note Rahul Gandhi's contradictory actions. He claimed that more MLAs were planning to defect to Congress in Telangana with AICC’s approval and demanded Rahul Gandhi's response.


KTR reminded that current Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy once advocated for stoning defectors to death and called them mad dogs. KTR questioned who should now face such punishment and challenged Rahul Gandhi to respond.


Recalling a significant Supreme Court verdict on a defection case involving a Congress MLA in Manipur, KTR demanded an explanation for the alleged 'purchases' of BRS MLAs in Telangana while Congress decries BJP’s defections nationwide.


He referenced an allegation by Siddaramaiah in Karnataka that each Congress MLA was offered Rs 50 crore by the BJP and questioned the price of MLA defections in Telangana.


KTR said he had been consulting legal and constitutional experts in Delhi for four days to seek justice on party defection issues. He mentioned that Danam Nagender, who won on a BRS ticket, later contested as Secunderabad MP on a Congress ticket and called for immediate action against such blatant defections.


He stated plans to file a petition in the High Court and, if necessary, approach the Supreme Court. He also intended to meet the President, lodge complaints, and raise the issue in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.


KTR vowed to strengthen anti-defection laws in collaboration with other affected parties, advocating for automatic cancellation of membership upon party switching, as outlined in Congress' Panch Nyay document.


Criticizing Congress for betraying Telangana before 2014 despite numerous opportunities given by its people, KTR praised KCR for the state's development over the past decade.


He attributed the recent Congress win to false promises made under the "six guarantees in 100 days" and accused Congress of resorting to MLA purchases to avoid fulfilling their 420 promises.


KTR declared this as just the beginning of the fight against Congress's defections, promising more battles ahead.