New Delhi, October 31: The BJP on Saturday mocked the Congress-led INDIA bloc over its symbolic “public impeachment” programme against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, describing the event as a mockery of Parliament.
Addressing a press briefing alongside the Opposition bloc’s programme, BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra took a dig at Rahul Gandhi, saying, “The world has already realised that Rahul Gandhi lacks the fuel. This satellite will never launch. Keep him as your mock Prime Minister for life. We have no objection.”
Patra also alleged that the first instance of vote theft in India’s history took place during the tenure of former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. He claimed that Congress leaders had voted in favour of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel for the post of Prime Minister, but Nehru became Prime Minister instead. These remarks were part of the BJP leader’s political attack on the Congress.
Defending the legal protection available to the Chief Election Commissioner, Patra said constitutional safeguards for the President and the CEC already existed and that the BJP had not introduced an entirely new provision.
He also criticised the Opposition over allegations concerning the deletion of 13 crore names from electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). Patra argued that the figures related to entries not yet included in final electoral rolls and referred to categories such as absent, shifted, deceased and duplicate voters.
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah challenged Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav to discuss the SIR exercise in Parliament. Shah said the BJP was ready to convene a special session of Parliament to debate the issue.
He accused the Opposition of having no intention of discussing the matter inside Parliament and alleged that it was instead disrupting House proceedings.
Shah also accused the Opposition of blaming the electoral process instead of accepting election defeats. Comparing elections to a sporting contest, he said that a losing team should practise harder rather than accuse the umpire of cheating.
The remarks came as the INDIA bloc held a symbolic “public impeachment” programme against CEC Gyanesh Kumar at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence in New Delhi. Former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar presided over the proceedings, while Rahul Gandhi delivered the concluding address.
The event was a symbolic political protest and not a formal constitutional impeachment proceeding.
