BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad hit out at the Opposition, accusing them of hypocrisy for praising the Election Commission when they win and attacking it when they lose, citing examples from Himachal, Karnataka, and UP during a Lok Sabha debate.
Prasad Questions Opposition’s ‘Contradiction’ on EC
Responding to Congress MP K Venugopal and other Opposition leaders during the Lok Sabha discussion on electoral reforms, Prasad said the Opposition’s shifting stance on the EC revealed a clear contradiction. “Will the Election Commission be considered fair only when they win? Was it not the same EC when their governments were formed in Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, and Telangana? Did Akhilesh Yadav’s party not win more MPs than us in Uttar Pradesh in 2024? When they win, the EC is fair; when we win, the EC is flawed. What logic is this?” asked the BJP MP as he came down heavily on the opposition.
‘Why this Bitterness and Anguish?’
“I heard the speeches of Venugopal ji and other Opposition members. One thing that stays with me is this, What is the reason behind this bitterness? Why this pain, this anguish?” Prasad said. “If the public doesn’t vote for you, then suddenly the Election Commission is at fault? If people reject you, what are we supposed to do?” Prasad also questioned what he described as an unusually harsh tone in their speeches.
“What is the reason behind this bitterness? Why this pain, this anguish?” he said. “If people don’t vote for you, suddenly the Election Commission becomes the problem? If people reject you, what are we supposed to do?” he added.
Cites Bihar Poll Results
Referring to allegations related to elections in Bihar, Prasad said that the Opposition frequently criticises his home state. “You talk so much about my Bihar. There was so much commotion during the election, but they ended up winning just five seats,” he said. “Rahul Gandhi campaigned extensively, Tejashwi also campaigned, yet the result was only five seats,” he added.
Furthermore, BJP MP argued that voters supported the BJP-JD(U) alliance because of the work done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. “People did not vote for them because they have seen the work of the Modi and Nitish governments. Unless they accept this reality, how will things move forward?” Prasad asked.
Questions Venugopal’s Conduct
He also questioned Venugopal’s conduct, saying that he is a petitioner in a SIR-related Supreme Court matter. “Parliament has a decorum. If you are a petitioner in the Supreme Court on an issue and then raise that issue here, do we not have the right to question your impartiality? Is that not part of my parliamentary responsibility?” he asked.
Prasad raised a formal objection during the debate and demanded that, if his concerns were validated in the inquiry, the controversial remarks made by Opposition members be deleted from the House records.
Context: Opposition Accuses EC of ‘Abandoning Neutrality’
Prasad’s remarks came after Congress general secretary and Rajya Sabha MP KC Venugopal accused the Election Commission of “abandoning neutrality” and “enabling vote chori”, sparking strong protests from the treasury benches.
He further accused the BJP of trying to rule the country by “misusing agencies like the ED, CBI and the Election Commission,” while adding that the final mandate lies with the people. He also remarked that although the BJP speaks of patriotism today, “their ancestors never fought the British”.
Meanwhile, today is the second day of discussion on electoral reforms in the Lok Sabha. A total of 10 hours has been earmarked for the entire discussion in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
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