BJP Terms Rahul Gandhi ‘Traitor’ After His Snide Against Poll Panel at Boston
New Delhi: A political slugfest broke out between the BJP and the Congress after the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, speaking at an event in Boston in the United States, alleged that the poll panel was “compromised”. He attacked the EC citing turnout figures in the Maharashtra election, drawing a strong reaction from the BJP, which called him a "traitor". Mr Gandhi noted he had been raising the issue earlier and alleged “there is something wrong with the system”.
Mr Gandhi claimed that, in simple terms, more people voted in the Maharashtra Assembly elections than there were adults in the state.
“The Election Commission gave us a voting figure for 5:30 pm, and between 5:30 pm and 7:30 pm, 65 lakh voters voted. This is physically impossible to happen. For a voter to vote, it takes approximately three minutes, and if you do the math, it would mean that there were lines of voters till 2 am, but this did not happen,” he said.
”When we asked them for the videography, they not only refused but also changed the law so that now we are not allowed to ask for the videography,” Mr Gandhi said. “It is very clear to us that the Election Commission is compromised, and it is very clear that there is something wrong with the system. I have said this multiple times.”
Hitting back, the BJP accused Mr Rahul Gandhi of “treachery” for questioning the EC. Dubbing Mr Gandhi a "traitor" for his alleged remarks against the EC, the BJP accused him of venting his frustration over the ED's action in the National Herald case on the poll body. The ruling party claimed that insulting the nation and blaming Indian democracy to “cover up his own electoral failures has become his favourite sport” and that he is “addicted to venting out his political frustration on foreign soil”.
Attacking Mr Gandhi over his remarks, BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra said: "You are venting the ire over the ED’s (action in the National Herald case) on the Election Commission. Nothing will happen by doing so…The ED will not spare you because agencies work on the basis of facts and the National Herald matter is an open and shut case. You will not be spared. You and your mother will be caught with the proceeds of crime and sent to jail.”
Mr Patra further said: "You are a traitor, not just because you insult Indian institutions and Indian democracy on foreign soil, but also because you and your mother have embezzled crores of rupees of the country in the National Herald case. You and your mother will not be able to get away with this.”
Taking a dig at the Congress leader, another BJP spokesperson, Jaiveer Shergill, said: “Rahul Gandhi seems to be suffering from ECS -- Entitled Child Syndrome. Insulting the nation and blaming Indian democracy to cover up his own electoral failures has become his favourite sport. He is addicted to venting out his political frustration on foreign soil.”
