Rajnath Singh: Congress made Election Commission its puppet during rule

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh accused Congress of making the Election Commission its 'puppet' during its rule. He cited the 1993 appointment of commissioners and challenged Rahul Gandhi's allegations of vote theft, pointing to Congress's electoral decline.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday accused Congress of turning the Election Commission into its "puppet" during its rule, citing the appointment of two Election Commissioners in 1993 and alleging that the party had favoured individuals close to the Nehru-Gandhi family.

Attacking Congress over its criticism of the Election Commission and the electoral process, Singh said the party's history contained several "dark chapters" and questioned its allegations of vote theft. "Flip through the pages of the Congress party's history, and you will find many dark chapters. Rahul Gandhi's Congress, which now raises questions about the Election Commission and this country's electoral process, had turned the Election Commission and the electoral process into its own puppet--let me give you some examples of this," Singh said while addressing a press conference.

Singh cites 1993 appointments, Naveen Chawla case

Referring to the appointments made in 1993, the Defence Minister alleged that Congress government had made sudden changes in the Election Commission by appointing two new Election Commissioners overnight. He also referred to former Chief Election Commissioner N. Gopalaswami's letter to the President recommending the removal of Election Commissioner Naveen Chawla, alleging that Chawla had shared sensitive information from the poll body with Congress leaders. "In 1993, the Congress government made sudden changes in the Election Commission. Overnight, two new Election Commissioners were appointed to the Election Commission. Chief Election Commissioner N. Gopalaswami had written a letter to the President recommending the removal of Election Commissioner Naveen Chawla from his post, and he had accused Naveen Chawla of sharing sensitive information from the Election Commission with Congress leaders. But the Congress not only worked to save Naveen Chawla, but also made him the Chief Election Commissioner. Because he was close to the Nehru-Gandhi family," Singh said.

'Vote theft or failure to perform?': Singh challenges Rahul Gandhi

The Defence Minister also challenged Rahul Gandhi's allegations of vote theft, arguing that the Congress had struggled to secure a majority in the Lok Sabha since the introduction of voter identity cards. "For five to ten decades, elections were held in the country without voter ID cards. In other words, before 1993, voter ID cards did not exist. There was no concrete proof to establish a voter's identity. And ever since voter ID cards were introduced, a majority has become a distant dream for the Congress," he said.

Singh claimed that the Congress had not formed a government at the Centre on its own majority in the Lok Sabha since the introduction of voter ID cards. "Congress claims that its votes have been stolen. But I want to remind you that in Uttar Pradesh, the Congress last won in 1985. It won in 1985, and after 1984, the Congress has not secured a majority in the country. At that time, the Bharatiya Janata Party was a party with just two seats. Now you decide: was this vote theft or a failure to perform? Rahul Gandhi should answer this question," he said.

'Hydrogen bomb turned out to be Diwali firecracker'

Taking a dig at Rahul Gandhi's earlier description of his allegations as a "hydrogen bomb", Singh said the claims had failed to make the impact that was expected. "He created a huge uproar across the country by calling it a hydrogen bomb. But the truth is that this so-called hydrogen bomb of his didn't even turn out to be a Diwali firecracker," the Defence Minister said.

Singh lists Congress's 'unprecedented crimes'

Singh further accused Congress of committing serious wrongs during its rule, citing the Emergency imposed by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1975, the 1984 anti-Sikh violence and the killings of Ram devotees and kar sevaks in 1990. "I believe that some of the most unprecedented crimes took place under Congress's protection and during its rule. The first crime was the Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi in 1975. The second crime was the massacre of Sikh brothers and sisters in 1984 under Congress's protection. The third crime was protecting those who unleashed a river of blood against Ram devotees and kar sevaks in 1990, thereby saving their government. And the fourth is the harm being inflicted by Congress today on the Constitution, constitutional values and constitutional institutions," he said.

The Defence Minister's remarks come amid continued protests by opposition leaders, INDIA bloc parties and student organisations against the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.

Meanwhile, security forces have been deployed in and around Connaught Place ahead of a proposed "Lehra Do Tiranga" rally by Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) activist Abhijeet Dipke at Central Park on Friday to maintain law and order. (ANI)

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