New Delhi [India], July 29 (ANI): Accusing the ruling-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Government in Gujarat of bribing and threatening their MLAs, the Congress on Saturday said whatever is happening in the state is a 'murder of democracy'.

"This is a murder of democracy in Gujarat. First the MLAs were being threatened. Now their families are also being meted out the same treatment. What kind of a democracy is this? Such incidents never took place in the past," Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said after meeting the Election Commissioner.

Congress senior leader Ghulam Nabi Azad also, reiterating similar sentiment, said the situtaion of Gujarat is very saddening.

"The Congress leaders are being bribed and being forced by the administration to resign. We are known as the world's greatest democracy and if in the prime minister's own state, the ruling party is doing such things, I think, nothing is more saddening than this," Azad said.

Another Congress leader Anand Sharma said they way the Congress MLAs had to be taken out of the state is a black blot on the state government and the ruling party.

"We will bring into the EC's notice how power, governance and the police are being misused. Money is being used openly in the state. There cannot be a greater violation. This is being done openly; it is an assault on the democracy - an open indulgence into corruption and violation of laws," he said.

"How come a party that doesn't have enough MLAs to field a third candidate steals candidates from the Congress and presents that individual as the third candidate?" Sharma asked.

The Congress has accused the BJP of horse-trading ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections in Gujarat, following which the grand old party MLAs left for Bengaluru late last night to escape succumbing to political and police pressure to join the BJP.

The Congress leaders, thereby, earlier in the day, met the Election Commission officials on the Gujarat MLAs issue.

Elections to the three Rajya Sabha seats from Gujarat are scheduled on August 8. (ANI)


This story has not been edited. It has been published as provided by ANI