“Intoxicated by defeat”: Sudhanshu Trivedi slams Congress over EC protest
BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi accuses Congress of being intoxicated by defeat following INDIA bloc protests against the Election Commission.
In a scathing verbal attack, BJP National Spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi has accused the Congress party of being driven by a "defeated and destructive mentality." The remarks came as the INDIA bloc launched a massive protest in the national capital, demanding the immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Trivedi’s outburst followed a dramatic scene where Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were reportedly prevented from entering the Election Commission office complex. The protest saw INDIA bloc MPs marching from Parliament to Nirvachan Sadan, eventually staging a sit-in to voice their grievances against the electoral watchdog.
Questions over voter verification
Addressing a press conference, Trivedi turned the spotlight on the Congress's stance regarding voter lists. He questioned the party's alleged support for granting voting rights to individuals who are absent, shifted, deceased, or duplicates without proper verification.
"We want to clearly ask the Congress whom it wants to benefit," Trivedi stated. "By giving voting rights to absent, shifted, dead and duplicate voters without any verification, whom does the Congress want to benefit? I am saying it again—what is the Congress’s intention?"
He further alleged that the opposition is attempting to mislead the nation with "baseless" and "nonsensical" claims as a reaction to their repeated electoral losses.
Accusations of dynastic rule and infiltration
The BJP spokesperson did not mince words when discussing the history of the Congress leadership. He claimed that the party's first family has spent four generations operating under a system of dynastic rule while effectively "strangling democracy."
Trivedi also leveled a serious allegation regarding the state broadcaster, claiming that the Congress has attempted to "infiltrate Akashvani" (All India Radio) in its pursuit of influence.
The "Voter Duplication" contradiction
One of the most pointed aspects of Trivedi's critique involved the Congress's own past statements regarding voter duplication. He highlighted a perceived inconsistency in the party's rhetoric over the years.
Trivedi pointed out that several high-profile Congress leaders, including:
- Rahul Gandhi
- Abhishek Manu Singhvi
- Ashok Gehlot
- Sachin Pilot
- K.C. Venugopal
...have all previously raised concerns about voter duplication. He challenged the party to explain their current stance by asking, "Were you right in 2016, 2018, 2020 and 2021, or are you right today? The Congress should clarify whether it was telling the truth then or is telling the truth today."