Dissidents want dialogue, first leave BJPs hospitality and security: Surjewala

Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala on Tuesday said the 19 dissident party members of the Rajasthan legislative assembly (MLAs) should leave the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) hospitality and security of the Haryana Police, if they want to hold a dialogue with the party.

“They (dissident MLAs) should first leave the hospitality of the BJP and security of the Haryana government, if they want to hold a dialogue. They should break their friendship with the BJP and ghar wapasi karein (return home),” he said while responding to the media persons’ query whether the doors are open for 19 Congress rebel lawmakers, including sacked deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot.

Surjewala spoke to the media persons outside Hotel Suryagarh in Jaisalmer, where the Congress MLAs have been camping since last Friday.

He alleged that the innocent children are being murdered, women are gang-raped and people are beaten up in Haryana but there is no police protection available for them. “But for 19 MLAs, around 1,000 police personnel has been deployed. The BJP is providing security to dissident Congress MLAs. What does this mean?” he asked.

He also took an exception to the Bihar Police’s alleged interference in actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death by suicide in Mumbai on June 14. He said the probe must be conducted under the jurisdiction of the Maharashtra Police.

“The constitution and law uphold that maintaining law and order is the responsibility of the state government. Bihar government and its police cannot forcefully take action in other states. Such an action will lead to anarchy,” he said.

Surjewala also read out the statement of Congress leaders such as Priyanka Gandhi-Vadra on the occasion of Bhoomi Pujan of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on Wednesday.

BJP leader Mukesh Pareek said it is surprising that the Congress speaks with a forked tongue while rubbishing baseless allegations against his party.