New Delhi: The BJP on Thursday termed Rahul Gandhi’s allegation of poll fraud against the Election Commission a “calculated deceit” and accused the Congress of “systematically” attacking the constitutional institutions under a larger conspiracy against India’s democracy and the Constitution.
The ruling party also accused Gandhi of insulting the “discerning decision” of the people of the country by calling its election victory a “fraud” and said the voters will continue to reject the Congress for such “irresponsible and shameless” character and conduct.
Gandhi has made allegations against the poll panel out of “frustration and anger” because people are not giving their mandate to the Congress, the BJP charged as it slammed the Congress leader for adopting “double standards” over the election results and asked him to understand that his family’s victory is not the definition of democracy.
This came after Gandhi claimed before the media here that an analysis of the voter data pertaining to a Lok Sabha constituency in Karnataka showed that elections were rigged by the Election Commission at the behest of the BJP to help the saffron party “steal” votes and win the seat in the 2024 general elections.
There is a huge “criminal fraud” being perpetrated across the country by the Election Commission and the “party in power”, the Congress leader charged, in an apparent reference to the BJP.
Condemning the Congress leader’s remarks, BJP MP and former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, “Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition, has made irresponsible and shameless comments.”
He has called the Election Commission a fraud, crossing all limits of “shamelessness”, the BJP leader charged.
“Narendra Modiji has been winning elections since 2015, and you (Rahul Gandhi) are calling that also a fraud. You are insulting the people of the country who voted for Modiji for his work, honesty and progress of the country under his leadership,” Prasad told reporters at the Parliament House complex.
“You keep roaming across the country to get bail in defamation cases and you call somebody a fraud. I strongly condemn Rahul Gandhi for his utterances. He is irresponsible and does not know what to speak, even about the constitutional body,” the senior BJP leader added.
Prasad said that Gandhi was attacking the EC out of “frustration and anger” because people are not giving their mandate to the Congress and will continue to do so after his brazen allegations against the poll panel.
“People will not vote for you (Congress) due to your such behaviour, character and conduct,” he said.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan accused Gandhi of insulting the “discerning decision” of the people by attacking the Election Commission.
“‘Bayan bahadur’ Rahul Gandhi has completely lost his composure in the agony of losing power,” he said in a post on X.
“The ideologically hollow Congress party is systematically attacking constitutional institutions. It cannot be ruled out that there is a larger conspiracy against India’s democracy and Constitution behind this calculated deceit,” the senior BJP leader said in a post on X.
“After all, their family’s history is also filled with the dark chapter of the Emergency,” he added.
Pradhan slammed Gandhi for adopting “double standards” on the poll outcomes.
“This double standard will no longer work — praising the Election Commission when victorious and calling it biased when defeated,” he said.
Rahul Gandhi needs to understand that his family’s victory is not the definition of democracy, he added.
“Where was Rahul Gandhi when the Election Commission invited every party to file complaints regarding SIR in Bihar?” Pradhan asked, adding, “Neither Congress nor any party from the INDI alliance approached the Election Commission at that time.”
People of Bihar are now ready to give a befitting reply to “such opponents” of democracy and the Constitution, Pradhan said.
