Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], September 27 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday launched a sharp attack on the Congress and its allied opposition parties over their protests against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, accusing them of repeatedly attempting to weaken India's constitutional institutions and democratic values for political gain.
Addressing a press conference in Lucknow today, Yogi Adityanath said, "The approach of the Congress and opposition parties has always been to be a part of every conspiracy to harm India's constitutional institutions and democratic values for the greed of their political interests. They've been a part of every conspiracy due to which the world's largest democracy could be harmed."
He said the current rhetoric of the Congress-led UPA and its allies over the SIR was extremely irresponsible.
"The country's main opposition party and the UPA coalition, and the current actions of other parties associated with it, and their rhetoric, are extremely irresponsible and are harmful to democratic values," he said.
Referring to the confusion surrounding the SIR exercise, Yogi Adityanath said similar revisions had been conducted several times in the past, including during periods when Congress was in power.
"Even before this, inside this country, at different times, and for most of the time, the Congress has been the government of leadership inside this country. In 1952, 1957, 1961, 1965-66, and in 2003 too, SIR proceedings have been completed. Despite all that, the kind of hue and cry over the proceedings of this time's SIR, Congress, Samajwadi Party, RJD and other parties have created is extremely unfortunate," he said.
He said the Congress, having ruled the country for the longest period, was continuously putting the Election Commission "in the dock."
"In elections, whether it's Congress, Samajwadi Party, RJD, or other opposition parties, if they win the elections, then it's their hard work. If the public dismisses them because of their corruption, financial misconduct, cunning politics or anarchic actions, then how justified is it to blame the Election Commission or the EVM for it? These parties themselves should sometimes reflect on this, introspect," he said.
He alleged a pattern of targeting constitutional institutions by the Congress, citing past instances involving the judiciary, the CAG and EVMs.
"Congress's former president and Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, in Cambridge, had also questioned India's judiciary. In 2019, they had also raised questions on the CAG's observations on the Rafale issue," he said.
"Due to EVMs, Congress itself has formed governments at the centre as well as in many states, yet calling that EVM a 'black box' and raising questions on India's electoral system and the world's largest democracy is extremely unfortunate," he added.
Referring to the Emergency period, Yogi Adityanath said, "Recall that on June 25, 1975, Congress had sinned by strangling the country's Constitution. Who doesn't know that Congress-led governments had sinned by unethically and illegally toppling the elected governments of various opposition parties."
He questioned their patriotism due to the opposition's questioning of the 2019 Balakot Airstrike conducted by the Indian Air Force and other major military activities.
"Questioning the Indian Army's bravery during the Balakot airstrike, questioning India's brave soldiers during Operation Sindoor. What kind of patriotism is this? And right now, Congress and its allies are doing the exact same irresponsible things," he said.
He said the Election Commission had already addressed concerns raised over the SIR process.
"All three election commissioners came before the press and clarified the situation. Directions about the SIR were already given. All the voters who missed out have full permission to fill out the form. Regarding Form Six, the Honourable Supreme Court justified the Election Commission's action," he said, adding that despite this, opposition parties continued to target the poll body and other constitutional institutions.
He urged the Congress to restrain its allies. "Congress should control these irresponsible childish antics of theirs. There should be no place for violence in a democracy, no place for vandalism, no place for such kind of propaganda. But there is a malicious attempt being made continuously by them to do such things," he said.
Reiterating that the Election Commission had already clarified issues related to missing voters and Form 6, Yogi Adityanath said the continued protests amounted to "splitting hairs" and were part of an attempt to put the world's largest democracy on trial.
"It's part of a plot to put the world's largest democracy on trial and weaken democratic values and institutions," he said.
He said the Congress and its allies should apologise, pointing to India's inclusive electoral framework.
"Bharat is the only democracy in the world that has given every adult voter, without discrimination, the right to vote from day one, no caste discrimination, no regional discrimination, no language discrimination, no gender discrimination. Even up to a day before the election, it has given him the right to add his name to the voter list," he said, adding that bringing this transparent process under doubt amounted to weakening democratic values.
Concluding his remarks, Yogi Adityanath said, "Congress and its allied parties for this act of theirs should apologise to the country's constitutional institutions and to the public... We also condemn these irresponsible acts of the Congress and its allied parties." (ANI)
"Congress should control these irresponsible childish antics of theirs": UP CM Yogi Adityanath on SIR row
