Daijiworld Media Network - Wayanad
Wayanad (Kerala), Sep 25: Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday hit back at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over its claim that the Congress questions the validity of elections whenever it fails to win, urging the ruling party to stop making what she termed "lame excuses".
Her remarks came amid a political controversy over a media report claiming differences within the Election Commission of India (ECI) over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Interacting with reporters in her parliamentary constituency of Wayanad, Priyanka Gandhi said there were facts and evidence to support the Congress' allegations regarding electoral rolls.
"That's a very stale and weak story. There are facts, and there is evidence. It is there for the whole country to see. My brother (Rahul Gandhi) has shown it in many different press conferences. He has put the evidence forward. Now it is very clear: 13 crore voters have been deleted," she said.
She accused the BJP of making excuses over the issue and alleged that the party's leadership was interfering with the electoral process.
"This is a lame excuse, and the BJP should stop making lame excuses. If they are meddling with the elections and if their leadership is making the Election Commission do this, then it is an act of treason, and they should be aware of it and take ownership," Priyanka Gandhi said.
The Congress leader further alleged that the BJP had become "overconfident" by allegedly "rigging" elections.
"If they (BJP-Centre) are doing it, then why can't they say it? What are they scared of? How many years has it been that they have been rigging elections? Naturally, they are so overconfident all the time," she said.
Her comments came a day after Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi launched a sharp attack on Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the BJP-led Centre, alleging that votes were being "stolen".
Addressing a press conference, Rahul Gandhi questioned the reported "absence of anti-incumbency" against the BJP and demanded the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner.
He also suggested that Gyanesh Kumar should resign and turn "approver" in what he described as the alleged "stealing" of votes.
"What you have done amounts to treason. It is an attack on the Constitution and the legal structure of the country... We are not going to let democracy be destroyed in India and sit in silence. People who are responsible for this are going to get punished someday or the other," Rahul Gandhi said.