New Delhi, Oct 3 (IANS) Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan has slammed the Congress party over Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s remarks referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah as “illegal.”
Chouhan described the statement as an insult to constitutional institutions and the electoral mandate of the people.
The Union Minister was referring to Kharge’s remarks in which he demanded dissolving the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies, saying that “all the elections were illegal” and even Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Ministers of all the states were “illegal”.
In a press statement issued on Saturday, Chouhan said, “The Congress begins questioning democratic and constitutional institutions whenever it faces electoral defeats”. He claimed that attacks on the Election Commission, Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and electoral mandates are part of what he described as the party’s attempt to deflect attention from its defeats.
Chouhan said calling the Prime Minister and Home Minister “illegal” amounts to disrespecting the Constitution and the democratic process. He argued that the Prime Minister was elected through the established electoral process and said questioning that mandate reflects distrust in the democratic system. He also questioned whether, according to Congress, democracy is legitimate only when the party or the Gandhi family is in power.
The Union Minister also defended the process for appointing Election Commissioners. He said the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Act, 2023, was passed by both Houses of Parliament and provides for a Selection Committee that includes the Leader of the Opposition.
Chouhan accused Congress of misleading the public about the process and contrasted the present statutory framework with what he alleged were earlier practices under Congress governments.
On electoral rolls, the Union minister said the updating of voter lists, removal of duplicate or ineligible names and inclusion of eligible voters are continuous statutory processes. He said the Election Commission provides mechanisms for claims and objections under prescribed rules. He also accused Congress of creating fear and confusion among poor and minority communities for political purposes, while asserting that BJP workers support lawful and fair elections.
Chouhan further targeted Congress over its criticism of EVMs. He argued that the party does not question EVMs when it wins elections in states such as Karnataka, Telangana and Himachal Pradesh, but raises doubts about the machines after electoral defeats. He cited Supreme Court rulings that have upheld the reliability of the electoral process and said Congress’s position could take the country back to the era of booth capturing, ballot-box looting and election-related violence associated with paper ballots in previous decades.
Chouhan alleged that Congress has become “devoid of issues” and is attacking constitutional institutions and democratic processes to conceal electoral setbacks. He said the BJP believes Indian democracy rests firmly on the Constitution framed under the leadership of Dr B.R. Ambedkar and asserted that political disagreements should be addressed through democratic means.
–IANS
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