NEW DELHI: With the INDIA bloc taking out a protest march on Tuesday demanding the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner, BJP leaders intensified their attack on the Congress, describing the protest march as an attempt to “hijack democracy” and “re-launch” Rahul Gandhi in electoral politics.
The BJP, while countering allegations levelled by the Congress and its allies over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, accused the Congress of creating anarchy in an attempt to re-launch Rahul Gandhi in electoral politics.
Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and other BJP leaders, including national spokespersons, said at media briefings that the Congress-led Opposition was seeking to spread "confusion" and "boost his politics" by misrepresenting the Supreme Court's observations.
Chouhan dubbed the Congress-led Opposition's protest march a collective move aimed at ‘venting the frustration of loss of elections’ in the past.
“If one loses the election, they start defaming constitutional bodies and levelling accusations, and they (Opposition leaders) are doing the same,” he remarked, asserting that purified electoral rolls are the essence of democracy.
He questioned the Congress over its objections to the presence of fake and deceased voters on electoral rolls, asking why the party was opposing efforts to ensure clean voter lists. Referring to the Special Intensive Revision, Chouhan said, “The country is asking this question to the opposition today. Why should the names of deceased persons appear on the voter list? Why should the names of non-citizens be included? Why should a single name appear in two places?”
Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju also termed the Opposition's protest march from Parliament to the ECI office a ‘drama’.
“This drama has been going on continuously since 2014 and resurgence of the Congress party will not happen by insulting constitutional institutions. Rahul Ji should learn from us as how PM Modi ji and each and every BJP worker selflessly serve the country continuously,” Rijiju asserted.
BJP MP and lawyer-turned-politician Sambit Patra, speaking at a media briefing at the party headquarters, displayed a copy of the Supreme Court's remarks and claimed that the apex court had made no such statement.
“It has just issued notices. A hearing has not even taken place yet. The CJI has stated that the matter will be examined when a hearing takes place. Yet, Rahul Gandhi is attempting to create an atmosphere of anarchy, lies, deceit, and confusion in the country,” Patra said.
Taking a dig at the Congress, Patra asked whether Congress governments elected after 12 SIRs conducted between 1952 and 2014 would be considered illegal.
“If SIR is illegal, then are the Congress governments in Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Himachal Pradesh also illegal?” asked Patra.
Citing the Supreme Court's Monday hearing on a PIL, Patra said the court did not say that Form 6 was illegal.
"The Supreme Court did not make any such statement. It has just issued notices. A hearing has not even taken place yet. The CJI has stated that the matter will be examined when a hearing takes place. Yet, Rahul Gandhi is attempting to create an atmosphere of anarchy, lies, deceit, and confusion in the country," he added.
He accused Rahul Gandhi of trying to "boost his politics" by invoking the Supreme Court and misquoting it. Hitting back at the Congress, Patra said, "The Congress has been repeatedly trying to launch and re-launch Rahul Gandhi by any means necessary. When, despite numerous attempts, he failed to gain traction, the Congress and some of its allies decided that even if it meant resorting to anarchy and undermining the nation's democracy, they would launch Rahul Gandhi politically at any cost.”
Patra further alleged that a sponsored effort was being made by some Opposition parties, particularly the Congress, to bring about a change in power in the country and, in a ready-made manner, install Rahul Gandhi in power.
BJP national media co-in-charge Pradeep Bhandari termed the Opposition's protest march an attempt to intimidate Constitutional institutions.
“Does Congress not believe in the SC? When the matter is subjudice, is the march of Congress and other opposition MPs an attempt to intimidate the Constitutional institution? By opposing SIR, Congress is supporting 2.8 crore dead voters to vote! Congress is assaulting Constitution of India by attempting to hijack from streets!” Bhandari remarked.
BJP national spokesperson Prem Shukla also described Congress as a ‘black spot’ for democracy after it led a protest march, alleging that the party was pushing a fake narrative based on fake facts.
“The Congress party and other allies of its ecosystem in Opposition are mourning over the deletion of Bangladeshi voters, as on whom they used to snatch victories in the elections in past as part of their ‘appeasement politics’, keeping nation ‘last’ and own political interest the ‘first’,” Shukla asserted.
