New Delhi, April 24 (IANS) The Congress on Friday escalated its attack on the Election Commission of India, alleging bias and warning that public confidence in the electoral process is eroding, with AICC general secretary K. C. Venugopal indicating a nationwide campaign to expose the poll panel’s actions.
Venugopal said the Commission’s conduct is pushing the country towards a situation where the credibility of elections themselves is being questioned.
He accused the body of clear discrimination in dealing with political parties and alleged that it has effectively become a department of the BJP.
Citing recent decisions, he said the Commission had given a clean chit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi despite alleged violations of the Model Code of Conduct, while swiftly issuing a notice to Congress president Mallikarjuna Kharge seeking a reply within 24 hours on what he termed a baseless matter.
“Such selective action will be placed before the people,” he said.
The Congress leader also alleged inaction on complaints filed against the Prime Minister, adding that the Opposition would examine the possibility of initiating impeachment proceedings against the Election Commissioner.
He said the Commission’s silence over alleged violations in the Prime Minister’s parliamentary speech, including references linked to the women’s reservation law and repeated mentions of the Congress, raises serious concern.
Turning to Kerala, Venugopal said the party is worried about the lack of transparency in poll-related procedures.
He pointed to an incident in Kozhikode in which a room adjacent to a strong room was opened, noting that no response has been received to the complaint filed.
The party is considering moving the High Court, even as similar incidents are being reported from other parts of the state, he added.
In a sharp political aside, Venugopal accused the Prime Minister of surrendering before former U.S. President Donald Trump.
He said Modi’s silence following Trump’s alleged remarks disparaging India amounted to an affront to national dignity, and argued that the same posture is reflected in the ongoing India-U.S. trade engagement.
–IANS
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