Bandi now asks KCR to take a lie test

HYDERABAD: A day after challenging TRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao to swear under oath at the Yadadri temple that his party or its leaders had nothing to do with the episode of luring four MLAs, state BJP president Bandi Sanjay Kumar on Friday demanded that he undergo a lie detector test to prove his innocence or non-involvement of anyone from TRS in the "TRS created drama."

Sanjay declared, "It is now clear who is behind this. The CM who claims to be a devout Hindu and believes in God, did not show up to swear under oath. Nobody stopped him from coming. We in the BJP believe in truth and in God, and we have demonstrated today that we have nothing to fear because we are not involved in the case."

The state BJP president, prior to taking the oath, poured water on himself from a copper pot. After entering the temple, he swore that he was doing as he promised to do the day before. “I am standing before God in wet clothes,” he said.

Sanjay told the media that since the Chief Minister had stayed away from taking an oath in front of God, he should at least be prepared to undergo a lie detector test. "KCR must take a lie detector test. In fact, he should ask his MLAs, ministers, and his family members to take the test. If he's being honest, he should agree to this," Sanjay stated.

On two audio clips that were leaked, purportedly underlining the BJP’s attempts to lure four TRS MLAs, Sanjay said: “This is like adding an item song to an already released movie which is an utter flop.”

The state BJP president asked why the leaked audio tapes of conversations purportedly between TRS MLA P. Rohith Reddy, and two accused – Nanda Kumar, and Ramachandra Bharati – were leaked by the TRS government and not submitted to the police. “If the CM had evidence to send the accused to jail, why was it not submitted to the court? How did these tapes come out? Is it because they were created over the past two days,” Sanjay asked.

He added: “If these audios are real, then will the CM be quiet? Will he not hold a press conference? It is because these tapes are doctored. If submitted in court, a criminal case will be filed for fake evidence. And those named in the audio clips, are they BJP leaders?”

Sanjay claimed that the drama was intended to divert attention away from the Munugode byelection, “where the CM knows TRS will lose, he knows his days as the CM are ending. He is no longer able to protect his ministers and MLAs. After Munugode, he knows his ‘shop’ will be shut.”

On the names mentioned in the audio clips, Sanjay said “the ‘Santosh’ is not K.L. Santosh (BJP general secretary, organisation), he is the CM’s relative. The No. 1 is KCR, the No. 2 is his son.”