Patna (Bihar) [India], September 24 : Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday lashed out at the Election Commission, alleging that a conspiracy is now being hatched across the country to cut the votes of millions of people.
While delivering his opening remarks at the meeting of the Extended Congress Working Committee here, Kharge questioned the Election Commission's impartiality and transparency.
"The foundation of democracy is fair and transparent elections. However, serious questions are being raised today about the impartiality and transparency of the Election Commission itself. Revelations have surfaced in various states, and instead of answering those questions, the EC is demanding affidavits from us," the Congress President said.
"Following the example of Bihar, a conspiracy is now being hatched across the country to cut the votes of millions of people. Vote theft means the theft of rations, pensions, medicines, children's scholarships, and exam papers belonging to Dalits, tribals, backward classes, extremely backward classes, minorities, the vulnerable, and the poor," he added.
INDIA bloc parties are opposed to the EC's decision to conduct a nationwide Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, arguing that it would result in the disenfranchisement of millions of voters, especially from the marginalised sections.
The Congress President also slammed the diplomatic "missteps" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"Our international problems are the result of the failures and diplomatic missteps of Narendra Modi and his government. The very friends whom the Prime Minister boasts about as 'my friends' are now plunging India into numerous crises," he said.
"This CWC meeting in Patna is extremely important. We are meeting at a time when India is facing a very challenging and worrying period, both at the international and national levels," he said.
The Congress President also accused the Centre of rolling out the red carpet for Chinese imports.
"Modi is remembering Mahatma Gandhi's 100-year-old mantra of 'Swadeshi,' which the Congress party used to defeat the British. Meanwhile, the red carpet is being rolled out openly for China. Our imports from China have doubled in the last five years," he said.
"Today our country is grappling with many problems. These problems include economic recession, unemployment, social polarization and weakening of autonomous constitutional institutions by targeting them. The promise of "2 crore jobs" remained unfulfilled. Youth are wandering aimlessly without employment. Demonetization and a flawed GST derailed the economy. After eight years, the Prime Minister realized his mistake. Now, the same GST reforms have been introduced that the Congress Party had been demanding from day one," he added.