Hyderabad: Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) working president T Jagga Reddy has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of orchestrating the rejection of Telangana Congress incharge Meenakshi Natarajan's nomination for the Rajya Sabha elections. Speaking at a press conference at Gandhi Bhavan on Thursday, Reddy claimed that the BJP is resorting to unethical tactics to secure a third Rajya Sabha seat in Madhya Pradesh, particularly in a case where no First Information Report (FIR) has been registered against Natarajan.
Allegations of Unethical Conduct
Jagga Reddy described Meenakshi Natarajan as a clean and simple woman, expressing outrage that the BJP is opposing her entry into the Rajya Sabha by allegedly misusing the Election Commission of India (ECI). He questioned the rationale behind rejecting a nomination based on a private complaint, the details of which remain unclear. “Will a nomination be rejected over such a minor case? Will the Election Commission halt it by scrutinizing even commas and full stops?” Reddy asked.
Criticism of Modi's Leadership
The TPCC working president further criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has been in power for 12 years, describing his rule as one marked by conspiracies and manipulation. He accused the BJP of lacking ethics and engaging in malpractices to undermine non-BJP state governments. Reddy also highlighted the BJP government's failure to fulfill its promises, such as creating 24 crore jobs (two crore jobs per year) and providing housing for all, while allegedly blocking a woman's entry into the Rajya Sabha and spreading lies about the Congress party.
Response to BRS Remarks
Jagga Reddy condemned remarks made by BRS leader Harish Rao, who suggested that Congress internal politics were behind the rejection of Meenakshi Natarajan's nomination. “While the actual theft is BJP, the BRS is busy throwing mud. Harish Rao has not questioned the BJP’s unethical practices,” the Congress leader said. He asserted that if there were any covert operations within the Congress party, the leadership would not spare any responsible individual.
Reddy concluded by reaffirming the Congress party's commitment to transparency and accountability, vowing to expose what he termed as the BJP's misuse of democratic institutions for political gain.
