PM Modi 'First Spoke About Internal Matters Abroad': Congress Amid Row Over Rahul's ECI Remark
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s remarks made in the United States targeting the Election Commission have triggered a fresh political row, drawing sharp criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which labelled him a “traitor”, while party MP Kumari Selja came to his defence, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of starting the trend of criticising political opponents on foreign soil.
Congress general secretary and Sirsa MP Kumari Selja, addressing reporters on Monday, asserted that Gandhi was only stating facts in public and accused the BJP of hypocrisy. “It is the BJP’s old habit. Let me remind you, it was the honourable Prime Minister who first spoke about India’s internal political matters abroad, often insulting the opposition,” Selja said, referring to Modi’s past comments on foreign visits, as per news agency PTI.
Responding to the BJP’s criticism of Gandhi’s remarks in the US, she added, “It’s like ‘Ulta Chor Kotwal Ko Daante’ (the pot calling the kettle black).” She further said, “Rahulji has spoken things which are public. They should not always talk about disrespect to the nation. The disrespect to the nation takes place when the Constitution is played with,” and accused the BJP of misusing Central agencies for political gains.
What Did Rahul Gandhi Say About Election Commission?
Gandhi, who arrived in Boston on Saturday, made the controversial remarks during an interaction on Sunday. The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha claimed irregularities in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, stating that the turnout figures provided by the Election Commission were suspicious.
“In simple terms, more people voted in the Maharashtra assembly elections than there were adults in the state,” Gandhi alleged. “The Election Commission gave us a voting figure for 5:30 pm, and between 5:30 pm and 7:30 pm, 65 lakh voters voted. This is physically impossible to happen. For a voter to vote, it takes approximately three minutes, and if you do the math, it would mean that there were lines of voters till 2 am, but this did not happen,” he said.
Gandhi further claimed that when his party requested videography data, the Commission refused and even altered the law to block such requests. “It is very clear to us that the Election Commission is compromised, and it is very clear that there is something wrong with the system. I have said this multiple times,” he said.
How Has BJP Reacted To Rahul Gandhi's Remark On Election Commission?
The BJP’s national spokesperson Sambit Patra called Gandhi a “traitor” at a press conference in New Delhi. Patra alleged that Gandhi’s criticism of the Election Commission was driven by his frustration over the Enforcement Directorate’s probe in the National Herald case.
“You are venting your frustration over the ED’s actions by targeting the Election Commission. But that won’t help,” said Patra. “The ED works on facts. The National Herald case is an open-and-shut matter,” he added, as per PTI.
The BJP linked his statements to the ED’s ongoing investigation. “Nothing will happen by doing so. The ED will not spare you because agencies work on the basis of facts and the National Herald matter is an open and shut case,” Patra said. He went further to allege, “You and your mother will be caught with proceeds of crime and sent to jail.”
The ED recently filed a chargesheet against Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and others before a special court in New Delhi, accusing them of laundering ₹988 crore under various sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Sonia and Rahul Gandhi were named as accused number one and two respectively in the prosecution complaint filed on 9 April.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan also took to social media to criticise Gandhi, writing, “Once again, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has questioned the credibility of the Election Commission from foreign soil. It is extremely unfortunate that whenever Rahul Gandhi is abroad, he never misses an opportunity to share his hateful mindset against India and its democratic systems.”
Pradhan further said, “In truth, the ‘Yuvraj’ of the ‘royal’ family that ruled for decades is irked by the global recognition India’s glorious democratic traditions are receiving. This is why he never misses a chance to insult the country and its citizens.”
“The country and the world believe in our great democratic values and their credibility. But the repeated frustration of defeat is clearly visible on Rahul Gandhi’s face. I request @RahulGandhi ji not to hurt the dignity of India’s democracy on the grounds of electoral defeat,” he added.
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