New Delhi: The BJP on Monday slammed opposition parties over their protest against the voter roll revision in Bihar and alleged “vote theft” in past elections, accusing them of trying to create anarchy and instability in the country.
Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters here, Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan termed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s allegation of “vote theft” against the ruling BJP and the Election Commission a “lie” and said the Congress has been resorting to such tactics as it has no other issues to raise.
Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan accused Gandhi of acting “under pressure from anti-national forces”.
“He and the INDI alliance are defaming democracy, tearing it to shreds and tampering with the dignity of constitutional institutions,” the senior BJP leader said in a post on X.
Both Pradhan and Chouhan are among the prominent OBC faces of the BJP.
Pradhan alleged that the opposition’s protest was a “well-thought-out strategy” to create instability in the country.
“Congress and other opposition parties want to create anarchy in the country,” Pradhan said.
Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, is speaking the language of “big forces” who want to destroy democracy in India, he charged.
Pradhan alleged that the Congress and other opposition parties are raising questions on the poll process and voter roll revision in Bihar, levelling baseless allegations against the poll panel as they want to make “intruders and foreigners” voters in the country.
“I appeal to the Congress and the entire opposition to raise the issue in Parliament,” he said.
“You cannot adversely impact PM Modi’s leadership, people’s decision, country’s constitutional system by creating fear” in the minds of people, he added.
Pradhan slammed the Congress and its allies for indulging in “undemocratic and anti-people” politics and asked them to play the role of opposition that the country expects from them.
He flayed Gandhi for not sharing proof of his “vote theft” allegations with the Election Commission in an affidavit, saying that “this spit and run theory of anarchy” mindset of the Congress leader is “so worrisome and lethal” for the country’s democracy.
Pradhan alleged that the Congress is weaving a “web of lies” by making false claims on a range of issues, from Rafale fighter jets, EVMs to poll outcomes in Maharashtra and Haryana, as it has been continuously facing defeat in elections since 2014.
“Continuous defeats in 2014, 2019, 2024, and in several state elections in between have driven the Congress into a state of political bankruptcy,” Pradahan said.
“I express serious concern over the Congress’ directionlessness. Those who keep roaming around with a copy of the Constitution, have they made up their mind to destroy it? I condemn it in the strongest words,” he added.
Chouhan slammed Gandhi for “repeatedly lying” and accused him of wanting to “spread anarchy” in the country.
“I want to ask Rahul ji and the leaders of the INDI alliance: did Congress win in Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh due to irregularities in the voter list? Were governments formed in Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Jharkhand due to mistakes by the Election Commission?” the minister said in a post on X
“Did Rahul ji, Priyanka ji, and Akhilesh Yadav ji also win elections due to irregularities in the voter list?” he added.
Asked for comment on Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra calling the Modi government a “coward” hat runs away from holding a discussion on the revision of voter rolls in Bihar, Pradhan said people of the country will take note of use of such “uncivilised and indecent” words.
“The Congress is in pain because the (Gandhi) family lost power,” he told reporters at the BJP headquarters.
“Such frustration is expected when someone from the family who is out on bail while someone else is waiting to be sent to jail in connection with a case of looting resources of Bharat,” he added.
The minister said the government is ready for discussion on any issue, “which is possible”, in Parliament.
“We can discuss if it is about reforms in the Election Commission, but (not about) how elections are being held, which is routine work,” he said. “Do we discuss the functioning of the Supreme Court?”
