BJP has no more than 104 MLAs: Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru: Even as the Congress and Janata Dal (S) fought to keep their flock of MLAs intact ahead of Saturday’s crucial floor test for the two- day old Yeddyurappa government, leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad and former Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah on Friday accused the BJP of abducting  Congress MLA, Anand Singh and trying to intimidate him using the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Income Tax  (I-T) department. 

Speaking to reporters after participating in a demonstration against Governor Vajubhai Vala,  Mr Siddaramaiah claimed all 78 party legislators and two independent MLAs were with the Congress, but Mr  Singh had been abducted and kept in wrongful confinement by the BJP.

“BJP president Amit Shah resorts to this sort of manipulation in every state. They don’t know the Constitution or the law and only make false propaganda," he charged.

On “missing” Maski MLA, Pratap Gowda Patil,  Mr Siddaramaiah said he had already signed the Congress list of MLAs  submitted to the Governor.

Mr Azad too claimed Mr Singh was in Delhi and would be with the party once he was "freed".  "Mr Singh is at present in captivity. Once he is free, he will be with us. He is being held hostage, but he is in touch," he said, adding that his party had details of calls made and recordings of those released from jail by the Modi government threatening and intimidating its legislators. “We will reveal the proof we have at the right time,” he said.  

Welcoming the Supreme Court’s order asking the Yeddyurappa government to prove its majority on Saturday, Mr Siddaramaiah insisted  the BJP had no more than 104 MLAs. 

“The BJP doesn’t have even one seat more than 104 because two  independents are with us, taking our number to 118,” he said.

Ministry seeks report from DGCA

The Civil Aviation Ministry on Friday said it had sought a detailed report after certain allegations, reportedly by the JD(S) that it was denied permission by aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to fly its legislators to Kerala, with the ministry saying the aviation regulator's permission was not required for chartered flights operating inside India.

Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha tweeted, "Domestic charter flights do not require DGCA approval. They have to get their flight plan approved by local Air Traffic Control and then are free to fly. We will get a detailed report tomorrow and provide all the facts." 

The Janata Dal (Secular) had on Thursday alleged that chartered flights that were scheduled to carry its legislators along with those of the Congress from Bengaluru to Kochi were denied permission by the DGCA at the last minute.