Hyderabad, March 13 (NationPress) The Deputy Floor Leader of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in the Telangana Assembly penned a letter to Rahul Gandhi, the Congress leader, expressing concern over the stark contradiction between his national rhetoric on safeguarding the Constitution and the actions of his party in Telangana, where it holds authority.

Following the dismissal of disqualification petitions for two BRS MLAs, including Danam Nagender, who ran as a Congress candidate in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Harish Rao challenged Rahul Gandhi, questioning how he could advocate for the Constitution in Delhi while permitting his party to undermine it in Telangana.

The BRS leader inquired whether Rahul Gandhi would instruct the Chief Minister and Speaker in Telangana to take immediate action against Nagender under the anti-defection law.

“Or should we assume that the Congress party only champions the Constitution when it aligns with its political interests?” he questioned.

“The citizens of Telangana, and indeed the entire nation, deserve a transparent response. Upholding the Constitution requires more than mere speeches; it necessitates decisive actions, particularly when such actions may be politically challenging,” the former minister emphasized.

Harish Rao noted that Rahul Gandhi travels nationwide, asserting that he is committed to defending the Constitution. “In Parliament, at public gatherings, and during political campaigns, you consistently declare that protecting constitutional values is the Congress party's primary goal. Your party’s 2024 election manifesto also pledged to reinforce democratic institutions and uphold the anti-defection framework to honor the people's mandate. Yet, the situation in Telangana reveals a significant inconsistency between your national stance and your party's practices where it governs,” his letter stated.

He pointed out that Nagender, who was elected as an MLA from the BRS, openly contested the Lok Sabha elections using an official Congress B-Form from the Indian National Congress. This is documented fact, not mere speculation. However, the Speaker of the Telangana Legislative Assembly, affiliated with your party, claims there is “no evidence of defection.” If running for election on a Congress B-Form while serving as an MLA for another party is not considered evidence of defection, then the nation ought to understand: What constitutes evidence of defection under the Tenth Schedule? Is this how the Congress party upholds the Constitution? Is this the moral integrity you lecture the nation about?” he queried.

“Regrettably, instead of defending the Constitution, the Congress administration in Telangana seems intent on shielding political defections and undermining voter mandates. The anti-defection law is designed to protect democracy from this very form of political opportunism. When a legislator elected on one party's mandate contests under another party's banner yet remains an MLA without disqualification, the essence of the Constitution is reduced to a mere political slogan,” the BRS leader concluded.