Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Apr 21: The Congress party has rallied in support of its leader, Rahul Gandhi, following a wave of criticism from the BJP regarding his comments on the Election Commission (EC) during his recent visit to the United States.

Rahul Gandhi's allegations, made while addressing the Indian diaspora in Boston, that the EC was "compromised," specifically citing the Maharashtra Assembly elections, have drawn strong condemnation from BJP spokespersons. The ruling party accused Gandhi of "maligning" India on foreign soil and labeled him an "agent" of George Soros.

Gandhi's statement in Boston alleged, "In the Maharashtra Assembly elections, more people voted than the total number of people in Maharashtra. This is a fact. The EC gave us a figure in the evening around 5:30 p.m., and in two hours, around 7:30 p.m., 65 lakh voters had voted, which is physically impossible. There is something fundamentally wrong with the system."

Congress Rajya Sabha MP Rashid Alvi defended Gandhi's remarks, suggesting that his language was "mild" and that "harsher" words would have been more appropriate. "Rahul Gandhi used very mild words for the EC. He should have used harsher words. The EC is partial. The biggest question is: why did the incumbent government remove the Chief Justice of India from the committee responsible for appointing an Election Commissioner? Now, the top official is appointed by the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, and a Cabinet Minister. This clearly makes the Election Commissioner a toy in the hands of the government," Alvi told mediapersons.

Alvi further questioned the EC's impartiality, asking, "How can we say that the EC is conducting free and fair elections? We have seen what happened in Maharashtra and Haryana. It is the responsibility of the EC to conduct elections with honesty, being an independent constitutional organisation. I want to ask the Prime Minister -- when the entire Opposition is asking for elections to be conducted via ballot paper, why is the government unwilling to do so?"

Congress MP Kumari Selja also defended Gandhi, attributing his frustration to the BJP's alleged attempts to divert attention from pressing national issues.

In contrast, BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra, during a press conference, accused Gandhi of attempting to defame the EC and tarnish India's image. "A person, who and his mother are out on bail on a bond of Rs 50,000 in the National Herald case, are selling propaganda from foreign soil. Nobody will believe them," Patra stated.

Selja countered Patra's remarks, arguing that Gandhi's anger stemmed from the BJP's diversionary tactics, claiming that the government is "playing with the future of our youth." "Whenever the honourable Prime Minister visits any country, he does not speak about India’s progress. Instead, he talks about the Opposition. Even on foreign soil, he focuses on the Congress. However, Rahul Gandhi does not speak without facts. He does not lie. He speaks the truth," Selja told.