The 44 Gujarat Congress MLAs, housed in a resort on the outskirts of the city, called on Governor Vajubhai R. Vala at the Raj Bhavan here on Saturday and described I-T Department raids against Karnataka Engery Minister D.K. Shivakumar, their host on behalf of the party, as “misuse of power” by the NDA government at the Centre.
AICC spokesman and Shaktisinh Gohil, MLA, after meeting Mr. Vala — who also hails from Gujarat — said, “Mr. Shivakumar has been a businessman for the past three decades, and has regularly filed tax returns. This is a misuse of power by the BJP. Why did the I-T Department wait for us to come and then begin the raids? This was done by the BJP solely to instil fear.”
He advised the Centre to conduct similar raids on the office of BJP president Amit Shah, who is contesting the Rajya Sabha election from Gujarat. Mr. Gohil denied reports of the MLAs being detained by force, and said any attempt by the BJP to contact Congress leaders or workers would be recorded hereafter. The MLAs have been in Eagleton resort on the outskirts of the city to prevent defection and horse trading ahead of the August 8 Rajya Sabha elections. AICC president Sonia Gandhi’s political secretary Ahmed Patel is the Congress nominee.
Mr. Gohil alleged that the BJP was spreading lies about party legislators being held captive by the Congress central leadership. “We neither accept bribes nor give it. Any attempt of the BJP to buy our MLAs will be foiled.”
Asked about their return plans, the Congress leader said, “We want to go back as soon as possible, although nothing has been planned yet. We have a meeting scheduled tomorrow (Sunday),” he said.
Dismissing reports in a section of the media and BJP accusations that the Congress legislators were having fun at the resort while people in their constituencies in Gujarat were affected by floods, Mr. Gohil said, “If we were here to enjoy, we would have accepted the ₹15 crore offer from the BJP.”
Asked about talks with the Governor, Mr. Gohil said, “Vajubhai has been a Speaker of the GujaratAssembly, so he knows each of us personally. He has been an honest individual who has risen above politics. This is why we chose to meet him, to safeguard our democracy and stand by our principles; not to indulge in dirty politics like the BJP.”