New Delhi, Sep 29 (IANS): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday accused the Congress of “tearing apart” India’s constitutional framework, especially the Election Commission of India (ECI), despite being the party formed to “provide protection” to the then British government.
BJP National General Secretary Smriti Irani, in an apparent attack on the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, said: “In the year 2019, the former National President of the Congress party said that they would make every possible effort to tarnish the image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”
“Prime Minister Modi has repeatedly said that they may mock him or attack him, but this attack by Congress should not turn into an attack on constitutional institutions and the democracy of India. However, the leadership of the Congress Party is leaving no stone unturned to tear apart the constitutional framework of India,” she remarked during a press conference.
Defending the ECI amid the ongoing controversy, Irani said: “As a citizen of India, I would like to say that the Election Commission strengthens the country’s electoral system; it is India’s pride which several countries across the world have hailed.”
Further, Smriti Irani claimed that the Congress is “distressed” that today the “people of India do not support them”.
“Therefore, instead of analysing their defeat, the Congress party is attacking the Election Commission,” she said.
“The question arises whether, in states like Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Kerala, and Karnataka—where there are no Bharatiya Janata Party governments—the Congress leadership is giving a clean chit to the Election Commission there, or if they are raising question marks over the activities of the Election Commission in those states as well?” the BJP leader asked.
Referring to the Congress’ statement following the CWC meeting today, she said the party’s leadership mentioned those 13 crore 30 lakh names, “regarding which the Election Commission has already issued its statement on September 26”.
“If the electoral rolls consist of duplication of voters and include names of the deceased, then why does the leadership of the Congress party again want the names of deceased people to be restored in the electoral rolls? Why does the Congress party want duplicate names to remain in the electoral rolls?” she questioned.
Irani said she was astonished that the Congress leadership mentioned the Lahore Congress session.
“Talking about history, then the Congress should also speak about AO Hume, who served as the Secretary in the Department of Revenue, Agriculture, and Commerce in the then British government. It is historically documented that AO Hume had discussed with the then Viceroy that ‘formation of the Congress party was essential to provide protection of the British empire’,” she claimed.
Smriti Irani added: “The party which was formed for the protection of the British government is today attacking the country’s Election Commission by mentioning the Lahore Congress session. There cannot be anything more shameful than this.”
