NEW DELHI: Amid the ongoing row over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the Opposition’s continued protest against it and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, BJP’s senior-most leaders and Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday asserted that “One Citizen, One Vote” is the very foundation of fair elections.
Defending the SIR in a post on ‘X’, Chouhan said, “One Citizen, One vote, this is the foundation of fair elections. A thorough revision of the voter list enhances the transparency of elections and builds public trust.”
Making a blistering attack on the Congress party, he alleged that the party is habituated to insulting democracy, weakening constitutional institutions and defaming the Election Commission of India (ECI).
“Insulting democracy, weakening constitutional institutions, defaming the Election Commission after losing elections, disrespecting the people’s mandate, are in the DNA of the Congress,” he alleged.
In a frontal attack on the Congress through a video message, Chouhan alleged that the party is playing a dangerous game by weakening constitutional institutions.
“Bharat’s democracy is the strongest democracy in the world and the world cites India’s democracy,” Chouhan said.
Slamming the Congress, Chouhan further questioned the party’s victories in Karnataka, Telangana and other southern states, as well as Himachal Pradesh, saying, “If Congress wins an election, the Election Commission is fine, but if it loses, the Commission is bad? How did the Congress win elections in Karnataka, Telangana, and Himachal? Does the Congress want to take the country back to the 80s and 90s by demanding elections via ballot papers?”
Making a frontal attack on the Congress, Chouhan further alleged that the party had weakened democracy in the past by imposing the Emergency.
“Technology has brought transparency to elections; why does the Congress want to oppose it?” Chouhan asked.
He also accused the Congress party of working to plunge the country into anarchy.
“Labelling institutions and systems as flawed, seeking to dismantle them and plunge the country into anarchy, this is a grave sin being committed by Congress,” Chouhan asserted.
He also cautioned that the Congress’s nefarious intentions and designs will never succeed as the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is blessed by 140 crore people and mandated to make Bharat a ‘developed nation’ by 2047.
Lashing out at Rahul Gandhi, Chouhan said, “Whenever Rahul Gandhi speaks, Mallikarjun Kharge repeats the same thing. It is not a coincidence. It is by design and on direction. Rahul Gandhi has been constantly insulting the democracy of India. India’s democracy is the strongest democracy in the world.”
Going hammer and tongs against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Chouhan further alleged, “Yesterday Rahul Gandhi made Mallikarjun Kharge say, and Kharge ji said that the Prime Minister and the Home Minister of the country are ‘avaidh’. This is an insult to the mandate of the country, an insult to democracy.”
Taking a dig at what the Congress now alleges against the SIR and the ECI, he said, “When Congress won in Karnataka, the Election Commission is fine. When Congress won in Telangana, the Election Commission is fine. When Congress won in Himachal, the Election Commission is fine. But as soon as they lose, the Election Commission becomes bad for Congress! What a mean political ideology Congress has now to survive in the politics of its appeasement!”
Lashing out at the Congress’s demand for holding elections through ballot papers, Chouhan said, “The Congress and others in Opposition demand elections be held through ballot paper. I remember the 80s and 90s, booths were looted. Ballot boxes were looted. The poor man’s vote could not be cast. And today, technology has made elections so transparent that no one can commit dishonesty. Why are Congress and its allies opposed to it?”
Hitting back at the Congress and other Opposition parties over their slogan ‘Vote chori’, Chouhan said, “You (read Opposition leaders) say that we win by stealing votes? Earlier you used to commit dacoity of votes. And one more thing, Congress has always tried to weaken democracy. They imposed Emergency in this country. They murdered democracy.”
He accused the Congress of continuing to resort to the same work even decades after the imposition of the Emergency to throttle democracy.
“And even now, the same work is being done, to question constitutional institutions. The people of the country are watching everything. They will give a befitting reply,” he asserted.