Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], October 11 (ANI): Karnataka BJP State President BY Vijayendra on Sunday hit back at the opposition, defending the legitimacy of the SIR process by noting that it is backed by judicial precedent, including the Supreme Court and retired judges.
Speaking to ANI, he accused the Congress administration of manufacturing unrest, weaponising state police machinery to target BJP workers over Form-7 deletion applications, and attempting to distract the public from the state government's governance failures and financial crunch.
He also lashed out at AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, dismissing opposition lectures on democracy. "They are trying to create anarchy. I am not here to defend the Election Commission, but the Supreme Court and several retired Supreme Court and High Court judges have supported the SIR process. The desperate Congress and other opposition parties, unable to accept Narendra Modi Ji’s popularity, are trying to create unrest. Who is Mallikarjun Kharge to lecture the BJP on dictatorship?" he questioned.
His remarks come after Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge previously, in the day, mounted a sharp offensive against Prime Minister Modi over the functioning of the poll panel, alleging that the constitutional body is not being permitted to operate independently.
"The CEC is a constitutional body. They are independent. They can take independent decisions. But he is not allowing them to take independent decisions. The two CEC members have openly exposed the commission — how the commission is acting, how irregularities are going, and how the members felt — but they have not taken any action on that either," Kharge alleged.
He further claimed that the institution was being compromised to benefit the ruling party electorally.
"All these things are happening because he wants 'vote chori' to continue. Whatever 'vote chori' he has done, with that only, he has formed the government in the Centre and the states," he said.
Targeting the central government over the legislation enacted in 2023 regarding the appointment and conditions of service of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners, Kharge claimed unprecedented protections were introduced to shield officials.
"To create such an atmosphere, Modi brought the 2023 Act to protect the Chief Election Commissioner and members. That immunity he gave. That immunity is not even for the President of India, not the Chief Justice, but that is given to one Election Commissioner. Why?” Kharge questioned.
"After giving that, he started this process — vote chori, EVM, all that, and whatever mistakes he (CEC) commits, he is exempted from them till his death. It means that it is a conspiracy to snatch votes and commit fraud on democracy, and he is doing all that, and we'll fight it," the Congress president asserted.
Further accusing Prime Minister Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah of subverting democratic norms, Kharge said the country is currently witnessing an "undeclared emergency."
"In the country, chaos is created by the Home Minister and the Prime Minister. An undeclared emergency is being declared. So, for that we fight," he said. (ANI)
Congress trying to create anarchy in name of SIR out of frustration over PM Modi’s popularity: Karnataka BJP Chief BY Vijayendra
