I challenge BJP to contest fair election on ballot paper, they'll never win: Priyanka Gandhi at Delhi rally
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday challenged the BJP to prove its strength by winning a fair election conducted through ballot papers, alleging that the poll process has been deliberately made suspicious to undermine peoples voting rights. Addressing the Congresss Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod rally at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi, she claimed the BJP could not win elections without the backing of the Election Commission (EC), accusing the ruling party of benefiting from alleged vote theft. Priyanka Gandhi said the country would not forget the names of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, asserting that they would one day have to answer how they conspired to take away citizens right to vote, regardless of any attempts to shield them. I challenge -- the BJP should contest a fair election on the ballot paper once. They will never be able to win and the BJP also knows this fact, Priyanka Gandhi said. She alleged that the chief election commissioner and the two election commissioners are attacking India's democracy. For the first time in history, the entire opposition is stating that they don't trust the EC and the polls are not being conducted properly. From announcement of polls, voters list, model code of conduct, campaign, polling, counting, EVMs and results, every step has been made suspicious by them (election commissioners), Priyanka Gandhi. She alleged that all constitutional institutions had been forced to bend before the government. Referring to Rahul Gandhis yatra in Bihar, Priyanka Gandhi said it was undertaken to protest alleged attempts by the BJP to cut voters names from electoral rolls to influence the outcome. She claimed a similar exercise was now underway in Uttar Pradesh, alleging that nearly three crore names had been removed. Questioning the role of the Election Commission, she asked how useful it had become for the BJP. Urging supporters not to be disheartened over the partys loss in Bihar, she alleged that the country was increasingly witnessing elections being won by the BJP through chori (theft). Rahul Gandhi showed in press conferences evidence (of vote chori) from Haryana, Maharashtra and Karnataka. In Bihar, 65 lakh votes were cut, and even if you set aside this evidence, during the model code of conduct in Bihar, they sent Rs 10,000 in people's bank accounts with the EC looking the other way. If this is not vote theft, then what is? she said. The BJP has no answer to these questions and is aware that the people are angry with them, Priyanka Gandhi said. Look at them (the BJP), they look rattled. I look at them in Parliament, their self-confidence is down, they are unable to look us in the eye because people have lost faith in their government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, she said. This government has failed on every front and the Rupee is now 90 against the US dollar, she said. When the rupee used to be 60 against the dollar, then who was crying on the streets? Narendra Modi ji was making comments regularly; what happened now? Exports are going down and imports are getting expensive. Their foreign policy has failed, he (Modi) walks holding hands with US President Donald Trump and presidents of other countries but when the time comes, none stand with our country, she said. Priyanka Gandhi alleged that the policy of the government is to hand over the country's resources o Adani and Ambani. The youth of the country is grappling with price rise, unemployment, paper leaks, and there is no one to help them, she said. Whatever was constructed in 75 years, they are attempting to destroy it, she alleged. Priyanka Gandhi urged the people to focus on protecting their right to vote, claiming that it is being taken away. It is our duty to protect the Constitution and your voting rights.... we will keep fighting and never bow down, she said. Priyanka Gandhi also said that Indians must rise when the country's institutions are being rampled upon. She said it is important to understand the value of the vote. When the freedom struggle was on, the slogan used to be 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai'. Jawaharlal Nehru ji told the people to tell him 'what is Bharat Mata' and then explained that it is its natural resources, mountains, rivers, farms, but it is also the 'Bharat ki janta' who are all part of Bharat Mata, the Congress leader said. This spirit made the Constitution and gave people the right to vote to elect a government. This thinking and spirit made institutions to strengthen democracy -- the judiciary, media, Parliament, political parties, opposition parties, ruling party members, EC, were all made to protect people's interests, she said. When we see these institutions trampled upon, all Indians should rise. They should realise that the attack on these institutions is an attack on them. Today, the judiciary is under pressure, the media is owned by Adani or Ambani. In the previous elections, chief ministers were put in jail, our bank accounts were shut, and baseless allegations were made. Those who could not bear it, joined them, and their washing machines washed away the charges against them, she said. Referring to the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament, Priyanka Gandhi said when Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi raised the issue of 'vote chori' and SIR, the ruling side got rattled and then sought a debate on Vande Mataram. We kept debating as to 'the national song belongs to whom' and how it came about; and the big issues of unemployment, price rise, paper leak, they could not muster the courage to debate them, she said. (With inputs from PTI)
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