New Delhi [India], August 14 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday criticised the Congress party over the alleged electoral manipulations in the past and said that severe electoral manipulations were carried out under the tenures of former Prime Ministers — Jawahar Lal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and her son Rajiv Gandhi.
Addressing a press conference, Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat referred to the media reports, claiming nitric acid was allegedly poured into ballot boxes under former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s tenure, which helped him sway elections in his favour.
“In the 1952 elections, under the leadership of the then-leader Jawaharlal Nehru, nitric acid was poured into ballot boxes that were full, so that the results could have been negatively impacted. The reports of damage to the ballots were printed in newspapers,” Shekhawat said.
Sharpening attack on Indira Gandhi and her son Rajiv Gandhi, Shekhawat said that booths were captured under the tenures of both the leaders, so that the Nehru-Gandhi family could remain in power.
“After that, for the Gandhi-Nehru family to continue in power, during Indira Gandhi’s election, immoral methods were adopted to influence voters; the Allahabad High Court had negated her election. We all know about this. When Rajiv Gandhi was leading the Congress party, in his own Lok Sabha constituency – Amethi, open booth capturing was done, and people were stopped from voting. So, repolling was needed in Amethi. To see that no repolling takes place, several attempts were made to stop it,” he said.
BJP leader further pointed out that Sonia Gandhi and other senior leaders of the Congress remain silent to date over the “immoral electoral methods” carried out by them when their party was in power.
“A question was asked about Sonia Gandhi yesterday. I am surprised that even after 24 hours, neither the family nor the Congress party has responded to it in any manner. The Congress party is silent. This raises questions,” he said.
This comes amid a row that erupted over Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s “vote theft” allegations against the Election Commission and alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in poll-bound Bihar.
Earlier today, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju lashed out at Congress MP Rahul Gandhi over the latter’s allegations of “vote theft,” alleging that the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha has not read the Constitution and has no respect for it.
On Wednesday, Rahul Gandhi shared a video of having tea with some “dead” voters from Bihar and thanked the Election Commission for this “unique” experience.
A group of voters met the Congress MP and shared how they were declared “dead” by the Election Commission and how their names were removed from the voter list after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
On August 7, the Congress MP at a press conference claimed that the 2024 Lok Sabha elections were “choreographed” by the EC to benefit the BJP, which he said appeared “immune to anti-incumbency.”
The LoP stated that the Congress expected to win 16 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka but ended up with only nine.
He said the Congress investigated seven unexpected losses, zeroing in on Mahadevapura, where he alleged vote theft involving 100,250 votes. Presenting Congress’s research on voting in the Mahadevapura Assembly in Karnataka, Rahul Gandhi alleged “vote chori” (vote theft) of 100,250 votes.
Afterwards, the Election Commission said that Rahul Gandhi “still has time” to submit a formal declaration to substantiate his allegation of “vote theft” or apologise to the country.
The Karnataka CEO has asked Congress MP Rahul Gandhi to submit documents to inquire into his “vote theft” allegations against the poll body. (ANI)
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