Came to Bengaluru to save democracy and ourselves: Gujarat Congress MLAs

The Congress has denied forcing their MLAs to stay back in Bengaluru

Congress legislators from Gujarat addressed the press for the first time after being flown down to Bengaluru. The legislators denied being held against their wishes at a resort. Gujarat Congress MLA and party spokesperson Shaktisinh Gohil said that Rs 15 crore was being offered in bribes by the BJP to lure Congress MLAs.

"This press conference is not just to parade the MLAs. We intend to answer all your questions and put to rest any doubts you may have," Gohil told the press. He claimed that the Congress MLAs from Gujarat were fighting for democracy. "There was a conspiracy to buy Congress MLAs for Rs 15 crore each and to defeat the party even before the elections (Rajya Sabha). CBI is being used to threaten our MLAs. Democracy is under threat," Shaktisinh Gohil said.

The legislator also rubbished reports of mobile phones being taken away from MLAs. "All our MLAs have their phones with them. It was a united decision to save democracy and protect ourselves. We will not be bought no matter what. We decided to come to Bengaluru to protect ourselves," he added.

Gohil claimed that the party was united and even those MLAs who had resigned were in touch with the party. "We are like a family. We are not individuals. BJP's plan was to get 22 Congress MLAs to resign. We could have gone to Singapore or any other country but we decided to come to Karnataka because of the love we have received here," Gohil added.

Lashing out at the BJP for accusing Congress MLAs of deserting flood-struck Gujarat, the Congress said that it was the BJP that lacked concern for the state and its people. While Gohil kept telling the media that all MLAs were ready to talk, the press conference only saw the Congress spokesperson speaking.

OneIndia News