BHUBANESWAR : Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday lit into Congress saying the grand old party and its alliance partners are attempting to create political instability in the country by undermining democratic institutions.
Addressing a rally organised as part of the nationwide campaign ‘Save Democracy, End Anarchy’ in Bhubaneswar, Majhi alleged that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was acting at the behest of foreign divisive forces and opposing India’s progress. He also described the Opposition’s criticism of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls as baseless and misleading.
Asserting that protecting democracy was the commitment of the BJP government, the chief minister said Opposition parties were opposing the Election Commission not to protect voters’ rights but to ensure that the names of deceased persons, shifted voters and illegal immigrants remained on electoral rolls as part of their vote-bank politics.
Majhi also targeted the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), questioning its claim of maintaining equidistance from the BJP and the Congress. He said the BJD’s support for the Congress candidate in the Rajya Sabha elections and its participation in INDIA bloc meetings and rallies had exposed the party’s political position.
Joining the march, Union Agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan accused Rahul Gandhi and the INDIA bloc of joining hands with anti-national elements to discredit the armed forces and constitutional institutions. He said people had completely rejected the Congress’ politics of anarchy and appeasement.
BJP national spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Sudhanshu Trivedi alleged that the Congress questioned the credibility of electronic voting machines and the Election Commission only when it lost elections, while accepting their credibility when it emerged victorious. He attributed the party’s allegations of vote theft to frustration over prolonged electoral defeats and its absence from power.
The march, organised by the Bhubaneswar district unit of the BJP, began from the party headquarters and culminated at Vani Vihar. Several senior party leaders, including Lok Sabha MP Aparajita Sarangi, Ekamra MLA Babu Singh, former minister Arabinda Dhali and former party president Samir Mohanty, participated.
