Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday took a swipe at the Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, labeling him as a “puppet” of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The remarks were made while speaking at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting held in New Delhi on Tuesday. “Names are being removed from voter lists through calculated conspiracies, and the Chief Election Commissioner has become a puppet of the Modi government. This runs counter to the ethos and spirit of Indian democracy, which mandates that every eligible citizen’s vote be secure and every vote be counted impartially,” he added.
The Congress president said the party would work to ensure that every person’s vote remained secure and elections were fair, so that public trust in India’s electoral process remained intact. Kharge accused the Modi government of systematically and conspiratorially hollowing out the democratic foundations over the past 12 years.
Congress National president also accused the Modi government of systematically weakening India’s democratic institutions over the past 12 years, alleging that names are being removed from electoral rolls through “calculated conspiracies” and questioning the independence of the Election Commission. “The Modi government has systematically and conspiratorially hollowed out the strong democratic foundation that our forefathers built through their sacrifices and dedication over the last 12 years,” Kharge said. Kharge said the Congress was not seeking to weaken electoral institutions but wanted the Election Commission to be strong and credible enough for both the ruling party and the Opposition to have equal confidence in its decisions. Earlier reporting noted: M Kharge Calls Poll Panel Chief A ‘Puppet’, Lists 5 Demands At Congress Meet M Kharge Calls Poll Panel Chief A ‘Puppet’, Lists 5 Demands At Congress Meet M Kharge Calls Poll Panel Chief A ‘Puppet’, Lists 5 Demands At Congress Meet Earlier reporting noted: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday termed Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar a “puppet” of the ruling BJP and called for his immediate removal from office. Earlier reporting noted: Addressing the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting amid the ongoing row over the functioning of the poll panel, Kharge said Gyanesh Kumar has “no right to remain in office”.
Cites Ambedkar on right to vote
No person who ought to be included in the voter list under our Constitution should be excluded due to the prejudice of a local government or the whim of an officer’,” he said. “On June 15, 1949, in the Constituent Assembly, Babasaheb Ambedkar stated, ‘Franchise is a most fundamental thing in a democracy.
