Bareilly: Union Minister JP Nadda on Tuesday lashed out at the Congress and the Samajwadi Party, calling them “irresponsible” and accusing them of “attempting to break” people’s trust in the Election Commission.
Nadda made the remarks while addressing the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) ‘Save democracy, Remove Anarchy’ rally in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh.
While hitting out at the Opposition, the Union Minister asserted that it is after years of hard work that India’s Election Commission and the Supreme Court have received global recognition.
“Some irresponsible parties, especially the Congress and the Samajwadi Party, have attempted to break the people’s trust in the Election Commission,” he remarked.
Criticising Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Nadda compared him to school kids who blame teachers whenever they score less marks, saying: “Whenever he (Rahul) loses polls, he blames the Election Commission while considers himself smart whenever he wins any election.”
Highlighting the poll panel’s efforts in conducting elections, the Union Minister said the EC made it possible for people residing in Gujarat’s Gir forest and Malogam in Arunachal Pradesh to cast votes, “despite the terrain being difficult to reach”.
The former BJP chief also referred to the imposition of Emergency under former Prime Minister late Indira Gandhi, saying: “The number of people sent to jail by Indira Gandhi without any trial for 22 months was even more than those imprisoned under the British rule…now Rahul Gandhi talks about saving democracy!”
He pointed out that the Congress-led UPA made the shift from ballot papers to EVMs, “and are now themselves blaming the machines”.
“Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav are today doing politics similar to what was done by students in colleges,” he remarked.
Further, Nadda asserted that the 13 crore voters that the Opposition keeps referring to as “deleted” under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls were “ASDD, Absent, Shifted, Duplicated and Dead”.
“The Bangladeshi infiltrators got scared of the Election Commission and ran away. So, when the BLOs came (for enumeration), it was found that three crore were ‘absent’, six crore 30 lakh were ‘shifted’ and one crore were ‘duplicate’ voters. Two crore 80 lakh were ‘dead voters’. This is what SIR is, which is being opposed,” he stated.
Noting that Union Home Minister Amit Shah has asked to detect, delete and deport the illegal voters, he said: “Whereas the Congress wants to recognise and formalise such voters.”
Referring to INDIA bloc’s meeting with President Droupadi Murmu over the SIR process, Nadda said: “They have still not come up with any proof.”
He also recalled the Allahabad High Court’s decision, which had declared Indira Gandhi’s election from Rae Bareli constituency as null and void, saying: “As a result, Mrs Gandhi changed the law and urged for a ‘committed judiciary’.”
Accusing Congress of mocking the Constitution, the Union Minister said: “Late Rajiv Gandhi had called the Planning Commission, headed by Manmohan Singh, a ‘bunch of jokers’. While his son Rahul Gandhi had torn up an ordinance brought by the Commission, during a press conference.”
The Union Minister emphasised that it was the BJP-led Centre that, following the judgement of the Supreme Court, included the LoP in the selection of the Election Commissioner.
However, he accused the previous Congress-led government of “rewarding” the members of the poll panel, “like TN Seshan, MS Gill and Naveen Chawla, for taking decisions in their favour”.
Further, JP Nadda also took a jibe at former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, pointing out that “she lost from her own constituency” in the state Assembly polls.
Criticising the INDIA bloc’s rally, he said it comprised those leaders “who have been ousted from power by the public, those who have been accused of corruption and are out on bail”.
Moreover, the Union Minister asserted: “Only the citizens of the country will run it, not the infiltrators. Those supporting the infiltrators would be driven out by the public.”
(IANS)
