New Delhi: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge today flagged the issue of “voter list manipulations” by the Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of elections in different states.
He also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for failing to defend India’s trade and business interests during his recent visit to the United States.
In his opening remarks at the meeting of AICC General Secretaries and in-charges here today, the Congress president also said that the in charge of different states will be accountable for the organisation and the electoral performances in the respective states.
“I would like to tell you one very important thing about accountability. All of you will be accountable for the organisation and the future election results of the states under your charge”, he told the general secretaries and in-charges.
Referring to the new challenge of “voter list manipulation”, he said, it was happening on a large scale in elections, and Rahul Gandhi had also raised the issue in the Lok Sabha.
Asserting that this rigging has to be stopped at all costs, he pointed out how the names of Congress supporters were deleted from the voter list or the names were removed and added in a different polling booth at the last moment. He accused the BJP of adding fresh names just before the elections.
The Congress president also referred to the manipulation of the selection process of the Chief Election Commissioner by the government by excluding the Chief Justice of India from the selection Committee.
He said the Chief Justice was also included in the selection committee of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) by the order of the Supreme Court, but Modi removed him as well. “The government does not even trust the impartiality of the Chief Justice of the country”, he observed, while referring to Rahul Gandhi questioning the purpose of the committee, where the government was trying to use the Leader of the Opposition merely for “certification”.
Referring to PM Modi’s visit to the United States, Kharge said, he (the PM) had failed to protect India’s trade and business interests. He pointed out, the PM did not protest the imposition of tariffs by the US on Indian goods. “They are forcing a loss-making deal on us, which our government is silently accepting. This is clearly an insult to India and its people”, he observed, while adding, “America is hurting us deeply even in economic matters”.
The Congress president said that despite Modi’s visit, America was sending back Indian citizens handcuffed as before. He revealed that vegetarian passengers were given non-veg food. “Our government also failed to protest this insult properly”, he remarked.
Referring to the “Save Constitution Campaign”, he said, it will continue for the next one year. Under this campaign, he added, activities like ‘padyatra’, ‘samvaad’ (debates) and corner meetings can be conducted. “But the aim of every such programme should be strengthening of the organization”, he asserted.
The Congress president in a special mention about the party’s performance in Delhi said, despite lack of resources, the candidates, the workers and leaders gave their best and created an atmosphere for change.
Emphasising the need to continue the momentum, he said, “our endeavour for the next 5 years should be to emerge as the main opposition by continuously fighting and leading mass movements on public issues”. Only this will make us the first choice of the people, he added.
