Mumbai, Oct 2 (IANS) In a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) President Harshwardhan Sapkal on Friday accused the Union government of capturing the country’s electoral machinery and undermining democratic institutions.
Demanding the immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, Sapkal asserted that the ongoing agitation against institutional corruption would continue until the key perpetrators within the ruling setup step down.
Speaking to reporters following a visit to the historic Mani Bhavan on Gandhi Jayanti, Sapkal, accompanied by State Congress In-charge Sirivella Prasad, accused CEC Gyanesh Kumar of functioning as “an agent of the BJP”.
“The Election Commission was forced to withdraw its arbitrary changes to Form 6 following the valid questions raised by Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi. It must be made transparent to the public as to who authorised handing over electoral decision-making powers to a private entity,” Sapkal demanded.
He also extended full backing to the ongoing protests by students targeting the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC).
Slagging the MPSC’s operational standards as “extremely poor”, Sapkal demanded the immediate resignation of the MPSC Chairman Vivek Bhimanwar and reaffirmed the Congress’ commitment to standing firmly behind the agitated youth.
Reflecting on the historical significance of Mani Bhavan — where Mahatma Gandhi spent considerable time during the freedom struggle — Sapkal stressed that honouring the Father of the Nation requires actively defending constitutional values.
“The ideology of Gandhi reflects the legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Shahu Maharaj, Mahatma Phule, B.R. Ambedkar, and the saint traditions of Maharashtra,” the MPCC President said.
“On the opposing side is the ideology of the RSS, which breeds discrimination. Having completed its centenary, the RSS had to bow before Gandhi. We strongly advise that the RSS be disbanded and the Constitution of India be installed in all its offices,” he remarked.
Turning his focus to the economy, the MPCC Chief contrasted the current Maharashtra government’s handling of inflation with that of the former UPA government.
“Under former PM late Manmohan Singh, even when global fuel prices surged, petrol was maintained at Rs 70 per litre and LPG cylinders at Rs 450 to insulate the public,” Sapkal noted.
“Today, the Modi government works exclusively to enrich a handful of industrialists while leaving ordinary citizens to bear the brunt of unbridled inflation.”
–IANS
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