In a series of social media posts, journalist-turned-politician Sagarika Ghose and former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member Kirti Azad have accused the ruling party of fabricating a list of opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) allegedly willing to defect.
Ghose's Statement on Joining Politics
Ghose, who recently entered public life, stated on June 9, 2026, that her decision was driven by a belief that the BJP under Prime Minister Narendra Modi is destroying India's democratic spaces. She expressed faith in the opposition's constitutional fight against the government.
Azad's Allegations
Kirti Azad, a former BJP MP now in the opposition, posted multiple tweets on June 8 and 9, 2026, claiming that the BJP had floated a fake and fabricated list of MPs who had supposedly signed documents to join the ruling party. He asserted that six of the named individuals had categorically denied signing any such papers.
Azad declared that "Operation Lotus"—a term used for the BJP's alleged strategy of poaching opposition legislators—had failed, and that Home Minister Amit Shah had failed in his efforts. He accused the BJP of spreading lies and engaging in blackmail, coercion, bribery, and threats using agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
BJP's Desperation
According to Azad, the BJP does not have 20 MPs to reach a majority and is desperate. He claimed that the issue has become a matter of prestige for Amit Shah, who is reportedly determined to secure the numbers needed to form a government.
These allegations come amid heightened political tensions, with the opposition accusing the BJP of undermining democratic institutions and using state machinery to suppress dissent. The BJP has not yet officially responded to the specific claims made by Ghose and Azad.
