VIJAYAWADA: Former Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu has responded to the latest political developments in the country and criticism directed at the Election Commission, stating that it is inappropriate to drag a constitutional institution into political controversies.
Speaking to the media at Atkur in Krishna district, he said the Opposition was behaving excessively in its criticism of the Election Commission. “There is a nationwide debate over the Election Commission. It is not wrong to demand resignations, but making personal attacks is inappropriate. The claim that votes were removed en masse is merely a misconception. Demanding the resignations of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and the Prime Minister is not justified,” he said. He observed that political parties took credit for their victories but blamed Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) when they lost elections.
“The claim that 130 million voters have been removed across the country is untrue. It is not appropriate to drag a constitutional institution into street-level political disputes. Members of the Election Commission have stated that they are united. I fail to understand why the Opposition is creating such a controversy,” he said.
He advised political leaders to think before making allegations and stressed the need to act responsibly to ensure that the country’s reputation was not damaged. Everyone has the right to protest, but resorting to violence is not appropriate, Venkaiah added.