BJP MP Jagdambika Pal has accused Rahul Gandhi of misleading the public by levelling accusations against the ECI. Other BJP leaders echoed this, while opposition figures like Ram Gopal Yadav called for broader electoral and judicial reforms.
BJP Slams Rahul Gandhi Over ECI Allegations
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Jagdambika Pal on Wednesday accused the Leader of Opposition (LoP) Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi of "misleading the public" by levelling accusations against the Election Commission of India (ECI). Speaking to ANI, Pal said the opposition's statements against the EC were meant only to create confusion among the public. "They are doing this to mislead the public. They are making statements against the Election Commission only to create confusion among the people," he said.
"Yesterday, it was not the first time that Rahul Gandhi made allegations against the Election Commission in the Lok Sabha. He has done this before as well. It was over SIR that these people had staged a dharna in front of the Election Commission's office. At that time, the Election Commission had called them along with a delegation of their 30 MPs, but they did not go," the BJP leader added.
Responding to allegations levelled by Gandhi regarding the Election Commission of India "colluding with the BJP", BJP MP Sanjay Jaiswal suggested that the LoP and Congress "look within themselves" instead of making accusations. "It's good that he (Rahul Gandhi) keeps making accusations because if he understands the truth, he will try to fix it. So, let him keep blaming the EVM and the Election Commission like this and not look within themselves-what could be better for us than this," he said.
SP Calls for Large-Scale Electoral Reforms
Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Ram Gopal Yadav on Wednesday said that the real culprit causing "mischief" amid the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise was at the district level. The SP MP argued that the independence of the judiciary was critical for election reforms while advocating large-scale reforms. "For electoral reforms, a few things are essential-- the appointment of the Election Commission and the independence of the judiciary. If there is mischief happening, the Supreme Court will say that we will not interfere in the Election Commission's work, even if they show someone alive as dead and vice versa. There is a need for reform on a larger scale," Yadav said.
"I remember TN Seshan used to provide a particular route to each political party. Ballot boxes for a particular booth would follow a pre-decided route. A worker from a political party will accompany the officials to the place where the ballot boxes are submitted. Each party's agent will remain present when the ballot box is kept in the strong room. All this system has been done away with," he added.
Parliament Discusses SIR, Electoral Reforms
This comes as Lok Sabha continues discussion on the SIR exercise initiated by the ECI on the eighth day of the ongoing winter session of Parliament. Senior Congress MP KC Venugopal launched a scathing attack on the BJP, saying the ruling party believed it could rule the country by using central investigative agencies and the ECI, among other institutions.
The upper house of Parliament is also set to take up discussion on electoral reforms after further discussion on the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram on Wednesday. In Rajya Sabha, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is likely to initiate the discussion on SIR. The opposition parties were demanding a debate on SIR for months, with Congress alleging discrepancies in the voter list. (ANI)
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