"If SIR removed anti-BJP votes, how did TMC perform?" Fadnavis questions Rahul Gandhi's allegations
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis questions Rahul Gandhi's claims of vote theft via SIR, citing TMC wins in West Bengal as evidence.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has launched a scathing attack on senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi regarding his allegations concerning the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Questioning the validity of the "vote theft" claims, Fadnavis pointed toward the West Bengal Assembly election results to highlight inconsistencies in the Congress leader's narrative.
The West Bengal Contradiction
During a press conference on Sunday, Fadnavis raised a critical question regarding the impact of the SIR process. He noted that in West Bengal, there were at least 15 constituencies where the Trinamool Congress (TMC) emerged victorious, despite those areas allegedly seeing a significant reduction in votes due to the revision exercise.
"In the West Bengal elections, in the areas where a large number of votes were reduced because of SIR, there are at least 15 such areas where the TMC came through. If SIR was used to remove anti-BJP votes, how did the TMC win in those constituencies?" Fadnavis asked.
The Chief Minister emphasized that the electoral process includes multiple safeguards. He noted that every political party has the opportunity to appoint Booth Level Agents (BLAs) to monitor polling booths and raise objections regarding electoral roll entries. Furthermore, eligible voters who find their names missing have a formal mechanism to seek inclusion.
"Rahul Gandhi's Mind Has Been Stolen"
Fadnavis did not stop at questioning the logic of the allegations; he also took a personal swipe at the Congress leader. Mocking the "vote theft" rhetoric, the Chief Minister remarked that there has been no theft of votes, but rather that "Rahul Gandhi's mind has been stolen."
"They are calling it vote theft, but Rahul Gandhi's mind has been stolen. Can a committee be formed to find where his mind has been mortgaged and bring it back to him?" he quipped.
Allegations of Undermining Institutions
The Chief Minister accused Gandhi of a calculated strategy to erode public trust in India's constitutional institutions. He claimed that by repeatedly questioning the functioning of bodies like the Election Commission, the Supreme Court, the RBI, and the CAG, Gandhi is attempting to create a perception that the democratic system cannot deliver justice.
Fadnavis questioned the resilience of the framework established by Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, asking if the Constitution is so fragile that all the institutions created under it could collapse due to such questioning.
He further alleged that Gandhi's ultimate objective is to push the country toward a communist system by creating an atmosphere of anarchy and distrust.
Refuting the "Fake Narrative"
Referring to a recent Election Commission meeting, Fadnavis stated that the stance taken by the three commissioners effectively exposed a "fake narrative" regarding the SIR process. He noted that the commissioners clarified that all decisions regarding the SIR were made collectively and unanimously, showing no internal disagreement.
Fadnavis also addressed a specific clarification from the EC regarding a letter sent to the Cabinet Secretary, noting it concerned a deputation appointment and was entirely unrelated to policy matters.
Concluding his remarks, the Chief Minister reminded the public of Gandhi's past controversies, including his "Chowkidar Chor Hai" comments and remarks regarding surgical strikes, which Fadnavis claimed demoralized Indian soldiers at the China border. He urged political parties to participate fully in the prescribed democratic processes and to introspect rather than attempting to create distrust through falsehoods.