Congress should apologise for its ‘baseless’ allegations of irregularities in Haryana election: BJP

Election Commission warns Congress and other parties against levelling “unfounded and sensational” complaints at sensitive junctures such as polling and counting days.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday said the Congress should apologise to the people for making “baseless” allegations of irregularities in the Haryana Assembly election, following a detailed response from the Election Commission.

On Tuesday, the Election Commission rejected as “baseless” the charges made by the Congress, and also cautioned it and other political parties against levelling “unfounded and sensational” complaints at sensitive junctures such as polling and counting days.

Cautionary note

At a press conference on Wednesday, BJP national spokesperson and MP Sudhanshu Trivedi said the allegations raised suspicion that the move was part of the Congress’ “design to question the credibility of a constitutional institution”. “This may be the first time in the history of India that such a detailed response has come from the Election Commission, with a cautionary note that such things may create public unrest,” he said.

Mr. Trivedi said while the Congress cried foul over electronic voting machines in Haryana, they were “in order” in Delhi, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan in 2018, Telangana, Karnataka, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, in the Lok Sabha election, and in Jammu & Kashmir.

He said: “Is this also not the same Congress that had claimed that the State Bank of India and the Life Insurance Corporation are ruined....however, the fact is that the LIC made an all-time high profit in the last quarter and the State Bank of India made an all-time high profit last May.”

The BJP leader accused the Congress of targeting all the Indian democratic institutions, including the Election Commission, Comptroller & Auditor General, judiciary, Army and the Air Force, in a bid to “create anarchy”.

Published - October 31, 2024 02:43 am IST