The BJP on Monday labeled Congress leader Rahul Gandhi a “traitor” for questioning the impartiality of the Election Commission of India during an event in the United States.
Citing voter turnout figures in the previous Maharashtra Assembly polls, the Gandhi scion on Sunday asserted that there was “something very wrong with the system.”
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Gandhi, who is currently visiting the United States, made the observation during a talk at Brown University in Boston.
“More people voted in the Maharashtra Assembly elections than there are adults in Maharashtra. The Election Commission gave us a voting figure for 5.30pm, and between 5.30 pm and 7.30 pm, 65 lakh voters voted. This is physically impossible to happen,” the Congress leader asserted.
Accusing the poll panel of compromising its impartiality, the Congress leader alleged that the Election Commission had refused to provide video evidence of the voting and even changed laws to prevent it.
“… it takes (approximately) 3 minutes, and if you do the Math, it would mean that there were lines of voters till 2 AM, but this did not happen…When we asked them for the videography, they not only refused but they also changed the law….,” Gandhi alleged.
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday came out strongly against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his comments on the Election Commission of India made during an event at Boston.
BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra accused Gandhi of insulting the country on foreign soil.
Mr. Gandhi, who is currently visiting the United States, made the observation during a talk at the Brown University in Boston that the poll panel was “compromised.”
Citing voter turnout figures in the previous Maharashtra Assembly polls, the Gandhi scion on Sunday asserted that there was “something very wrong with the system.”
Accusing Mr. Gandhi of undermining India’s democratic institutions from foreign soil, Mr. Patra said this is an “old habit” of the Congress leader to insult the country on foreign soil.
“He has insulted India in the US. This is not a new thing. He has been doing this for a long time,” the BJP spokesperson said at a press briefing.
Accusing the Congress of “creating an atmosphere of unrest” by protesting against the Enforcement Directorate’s charge sheet in the National Herald case, Mr. Patra alleged that “chor machaye shor (thief raises a hue and cry).”
“You are a traitor, not just because you insult Indian institutions and Indian democracy on foreign soil but also because you and your mother have embezzled crores of rupees of the country in the National Herald case. You and your mother will not be able to get away with this,” Patra said.
The Enforcement Directorate had on Tuesday filed its charge sheet against Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in connection to the National Herald case.
