A fresh sting video has emerged, showing Congress MLA Madan Singh Bisht saying that he had convinced former chief minister Harish Rawat to pay lakhs of rupees to Congress MLAs to keep them together. The video which was released on Sunday purportedly shows that Bisht telling the rebel Congress MLA Harak Singh Rawat that he got the former chief minister to pay Rs 25 lakh each to 12 Congress MLAs as “kharcha-paani (pocket change)”.
Congress state president Kishor Upadhyay said, “This looks like a conspiracy same as the previous sting. We are looking at legal recourse. After all, there are guidelines that goSACvern sting operations.”
“Our leaders are receiving threatening calls. My phone lines are being tapped,” Harish Rawat said. “I am also being kept under surveillance as if I am an anti-national.”
"Why would the BJP conduct a sting operation of Harish Rawat? His MLAs are themselves not satisfied with him. Almost one-third of his party MLAs have left him and one-third more are ready to leave. This only shows that he is indulging in horse trading, as his own MLAs don't trust him," BJP leader Bhagat Singh Koshiyari said.
"It is very unfortunate that such a grand old party has still not taken any action against Rawat. I think that the Congress wants to destroy itself in Uttarakhand, otherwise they would have taken any action against the ousted chief minister," he added.
BSP MLAs Haridas and Sarbat Karim Ansari said that they are no longer part of the grouping and will vote according to teh instructions of party chief Mayawati. “We are no longer part of the PDF, but we support the Congress. Par humein Behenji ke decision ka intezaar hai (We are waiting for Behenji’s decision),” said Haridas. “I am just a soldier of the party. I will do only what Behenji asks us to do. You should understand which way the party will go,” said Ansari.
“The BSP is a secular party and that is why they have lent us their support. I am sure they will continue to back us and not a communal party like the BJP,” Rawat said.
“The PDF is a house divided. There are three Independents among them. They are at liberty to take their decisions as individuals. I am sure they will not remain intact,” said BJP spokesperson Munna Singh Chauhan.
By Premji
