NEW DELHI: BJP general secretary (Organisation) B L Santhosh has been caught in the midst of a political battle between his party and the Telengana Rashtriya Samithy (TRS) led by Telengana chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao.
With central agencies getting active in the southern state, targeting ministers and leaders in the state government, the ruling TRS has countered with video and audio releases that target central BJP leaders including Santhosh and even home minister Amit Shah, alleging that BJP has been poaching on TRS leaders with an eye on the assembly polls in the state slated for next year.
With an FIR having been registered against Santhosh, by the Telengana police, and a notice having been served to him in Delhi last week, the BJP general secretary (organisation) has been asked to attend a hearing with the Special Investigative Team (SIT) set up to probe the allegations of luring TRS MLAs over to the BJP camp with money and other incentives.
The Telengana High Court is also hearing the case and since Santosh failed to appear before SIT by November 22, the HC has set a further date for November 30, on Wednesday. Another notice is also to be served on Santhosh, for him to appear before the SIT.
Meanwhile, political opponents of BJP have been using the situation to hit out at Santhosh and his party. BJP leader Subramanian Swamy who has been critical of his party leadership for a while has tweeted saying, “It is for the RSS to decide if the accusations made by the Telengana Police against B L Santosh are true prima facie and Santhosh could be prosecuted and tried in a court. Santhosh like Ram Madhav and others are “loaned” by RSS to BJP. Hence as a parent body RSS has to make the call.”
KCR’s daughter K Kavitha, an MLC has been mounting an attack on BJP saying it has been poaching on TRS MLAs while naming Santhosh among other leaders from the saffron party.
Taking a dig at the situation, with Santhosh being summoned by the SIT and the matter reaching the courts in Hyderabad, political rival Mohan Dasari of the Aam Aadmi Party from Karnataka, Santhosh’s home state, has tweeted a poster saying “Wanted” alongside a photograph of Santhosh.
With central agencies getting active in the southern state, targeting ministers and leaders in the state government, the ruling TRS has countered with video and audio releases that target central BJP leaders including Santhosh and even home minister Amit Shah, alleging that BJP has been poaching on TRS leaders with an eye on the assembly polls in the state slated for next year.
With an FIR having been registered against Santhosh, by the Telengana police, and a notice having been served to him in Delhi last week, the BJP general secretary (organisation) has been asked to attend a hearing with the Special Investigative Team (SIT) set up to probe the allegations of luring TRS MLAs over to the BJP camp with money and other incentives.
The Telengana High Court is also hearing the case and since Santosh failed to appear before SIT by November 22, the HC has set a further date for November 30, on Wednesday. Another notice is also to be served on Santhosh, for him to appear before the SIT.
Meanwhile, political opponents of BJP have been using the situation to hit out at Santhosh and his party. BJP leader Subramanian Swamy who has been critical of his party leadership for a while has tweeted saying, “It is for the RSS to decide if the accusations made by the Telengana Police against B L Santosh are true prima facie and Santhosh could be prosecuted and tried in a court. Santhosh like Ram Madhav and others are “loaned” by RSS to BJP. Hence as a parent body RSS has to make the call.”
KCR’s daughter K Kavitha, an MLC has been mounting an attack on BJP saying it has been poaching on TRS MLAs while naming Santhosh among other leaders from the saffron party.
Taking a dig at the situation, with Santhosh being summoned by the SIT and the matter reaching the courts in Hyderabad, political rival Mohan Dasari of the Aam Aadmi Party from Karnataka, Santhosh’s home state, has tweeted a poster saying “Wanted” alongside a photograph of Santhosh.
