SHAH ALAM, Nov 29 - Azmin Ali today insisted that PKR members were not responsible for the fake Selangorkini newspapers distributed at the party’s annual congress, blaming rivals Barisan Nasional (BN) for the act.

Azmin said the counterfeit newspaper that was distributed to PKR delegates today was a “desperate” attempt by the party’s rivals to weaken his administration.

“Well I think it’s a desperate move by Umno and BN trying to undermine the present administration in Selangor.

“They cannot face the facts, they can’t face the people, they try to conduct some roadshows to explain some issues but nobody cares to listen to them and now they start to circulate Selangorkini. This is the gutter politics practiced by Umno-BN,” he told reporters when met at the sidelines of the congress.

Azmin added he was certain the fake newspapers were not doing of his party as “it was not our culture”.

Copies of the paper purporting to be the November 13-20 edition caused controversy when they were given to delegates at the Ideal Convention Centre here where PKR convened for its annual assembly.

Among the articles in the newspaper were those comparing former MB Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim favourably to Azmin, criticising the PKR deputy president over a purported water tariff increase, and one saying party president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail was the best choice to be MB.

Others articles in the purported counterfeit were those questioning Azmin’s decisions on the Darul Ehsan Investment Group (DEIG) state investment arm.