Even as the political crisis in Rajasthan continues to escalate with the Congress demanding that the speaker holds the assembly session from July 31, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati trained her guns on Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot , accusing him of stealing MLAs. Further, she warned that she is ready to move Supreme Court of over the issue of six of her MLAs joining the Congress last year.
The BSP had, on Sunday, issued a whip to the six MLAs, asking them to vote against the ruling party in the state in case of a trust motion in the assembly. The support of these six MLAs are crucial for Gehlot as he is left with a thin margin after 19 rebel MLAs, including Sachin Pilot, revolted against the party.
The BSP leader said the party could have gone to court earlier, but they were looking for the right time to "teach the Congress party and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot a lesson." She said the party is not willing to let go of the issue and added that they are even ready to move Supreme Court against the merger.
While the BSP MLAs have claimed that they have joined the Congress of their own will, the BSP has been claiming that since theirs is a national party, the local unit cannot merge on its own.
She dubbed the merger "illegal" and said after the polls, her party offered unconditional support to the Congress. "Unfortunately, Chief Minister Gehlot, out of malicious intent and to damage the BSP, merged them with the Congress unconstitutionally. He did the same even in his last tenure," she said.
She clarified that she hasn't joined hands with the BJP to corner the Congress. BJP MLA Madan Dilawar had filed a petition in the Rajasthan High Court against the merger of the six MLAs. However, the petition was dismissed by the court on Monday.
Earlier on Tuesday, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra took a veiled dig at the BSP, alleging that the whip issued by it to its MLAs in Rajasthan is a clean chit to those who "murdered" democracy and the Constitution. "Undeclared spokespersons of the BJP have issued a whip in support of the BJP. But, this is not a whip but a clean chit to those who murder democracy and the Constitution," she said in a tweet in Hindi.
(With PTI inputs)
