Admitting that the aircraft that ferried the Congress MLAs belonged to Jupiter Capital established by Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar, the company officials clarified that they were running a business and whoever wanted to use the plane could do so. Here is how Chandrasekhar gave a befitting reply to the Congress
Bengaluru: BJP MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Monday (July 8) gave a befitting reply to Karnataka deputy chief minister G Parameshwara who accused him of ferrying rebel Congress MLAs in an aircraft owned by his company.
Chandrasekhar asked the Congress not to blame the BJP or him for the problems in the “crooked, corrupt alliance”.
"Dear @DrParameshwara - this “aircraft” is a commercial charter - tht has been chartered by many ppl incldg ur own ministers in past ! So dont blame me or an “aircraft” or @BJP4India for the problems in yr crooked corrupt opprtunistic “alliance (sic),” Chandrasekhar tweeted to Parameshwara.
Dear - this “aircraft” is a commercial charter - tht has been chartered by many ppl incldg ur own ministers in past !
So dont blame me or an “aircraft” or for the problems in yr crooked corrupt opprtunistic “alliance”. 🤨😏😠 https://t.co/AlQFZjffPV
This reply came after Parameshwara had tweeted, "Traces of BJP's role in destabilizing the govt are all over the place. It is disgraceful that the party is attempting to topple a democratically elected govt & grab power through the backdoor, when the state is reeling under one of the worst droughts (sic)."
The chartered plane in which 10 dissident lawmakers of the Congress and JD(S) flew from Bengaluru to Mumbai belongs to a company associated with Rajya Sabha MP Chandrasekhar, company sources said in Bengaluru.
The plane belongs to Jupiter Capital Private Limited. Chandrasekhar is the founder and chairman of the company.
Admitting that the aircraft that ferried the MLAs belonged to Jupiter Capital, the company officials clarified that they were running a business and whoever wanted to use the plane could do so.
The Congress had accused the BJP of hatching a conspiracy to topple the party's coalition government with the JD(S) in Karnataka.
Former chief minister Siddaramaiah, former Union minister Mallikarjun Kharge and Karnataka water resource minister DK Shivakumar reiterated their charge on Sunday (July 7) that the BJP was behind the current political turmoil in Karnataka.
However, the BJP has been maintaining that it has nothing to do with it and the rebellion is a fallout of the squabbling between the two ruling coalition partners.
According to a PTI report, Congress spokesperson KE Radhakrishna said, "It is obvious that their (BJP's) hand is very much behind (the attempt to topple the government). They cannot fool people. Central leaders of the BJP are involved in this. Their role is as clear as the sun."
He claimed that the chartered plane was kept ready at the HAL Airport in Bengaluru to fly the dissident legislators out as soon as they came out of the Raj Bhavan after meeting Governor Vajubhai Vala on Saturday (July 6).
Both the JD(S) and Congress have been plagued by dissension over allocation of ministerial berths and distribution of Lok Sabha poll tickets. The cracks deepened after the BJP swept the parliamentary election in the state.
Ten of the MLAs who resigned flew by the chartered plane to Mumbai on Saturday. They have been lodged at a hotel there.
* With inputs from PTI
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