NEW DELHI, Apr 1: A day after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused the Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “match fixing” the 2024 Lok Sabha through the use of enforcement agencies against Opposition leaders, the BJP urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to take the “strictest action.”
Mr Gandhi had levelled the charge against the Prime Minister while addressing the Opposition INDIA bloc rally at the Ramlila Maidan in Delhi on Sunday. A BJP delegation comprising Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and BJP national general secretary Arun Singh lodged the complaint against Mr Gandhi with the ECI on Monday.
Addressing reporters after their meeting with EC officials, Mr Puri said Mr Gandhi’s comments during the public meeting were “extremely objectionable” as they were “not just in violation of the model code of conduct but could have serious implications.”
“Addressing the public meeting yesterday, Rahul Gandhi said this [the Lok Sabha election] is a fixed match. He also said that the Central government has deployed its people in the Election Commission. He also raised questions on the credibility of the EVMs (electronic voting machines) and said the Constitution will be cancelled (changed) after elections,” Mr Puri said.
“We urged the Election Commission to take strictest action against Rahul Gandhi, other Congress leaders, and those of the Opposition’s INDIA alliance,” he added. Mr Singh accused Mr Gandhi of repeatedly making such comments, and said the ECI should consider censuring him from speaking during the Lok Sabha elections as the Congress leader would not stop making such remarks.
(Manas Dasgupta)
