New Delhi [India], July 9 : After Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav levelled allegations against the Election Commission in 'Bihar Bandh' rally on Wednesday, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla accused the two leaders of undermining constitutional institutions merely to shield their families and political interests.
Speaking to ANI, Poonawalla claimed that Rahul and Tejashwi are accusing a "constitutional institution", just to save themselves from defeat.
"Look at how Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav are today accusing the Election Commission of theft; one belongs to a 'chaara chor party' and the other to a 'zameen chor party'. Both are targeting the Election Commission just to save themselves and their families from political defeat. These are constitutional institutions," he said.
The BJP leader highlighted that these are the same leaders who praise the Election Commission when results go in their favour, such as in Karnataka, Telangana, or Himachal Pradesh, but questioned its credibility when results go against them.
"This is evident again and again. When this same Election Commission conducts elections in Telangana, Karnataka, or Himachal, then it is considered fine. But when they lose in Maharashtra or Haryana, suddenly it's termed bad. Actually, this isn't about the Election Commission; this is about the CC: Conditional Commitment. For both Tejashwi and Rahul Gandhi, their commitment is more towards family rule than the constitutional system," Shehzad Poonawalla said.
Referring to the Supreme Court hearing on the electoral roll revision scheduled for July 10, Poonawalla questioned why the Opposition leaders were staging street protests if they had faith in the judiciary.
He said, "They don't even listen to the Supreme Court. Now that the matter is with the Supreme Court, do they not trust it? That's why they're out on the streets creating a ruckus, raising slogans against the Election Commission. If the judiciary convicts their family, then it is bad. If they win a bypoll, EC is good; otherwise, it is bad."
Earlier today, Rahul Gandhi warned that the pattern of electoral manipulation seen in Maharashtra could be repeated in Bihar.
Speaking at the Bihar Bandh rally, Rahul Gandhi said, "The way there was vote theft in the Maharashtra elections, a similar attempt is being made in Bihar."
Gandhi also raised questions over the rise in voter numbers between the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Maharashtra, alleging that all newly added votes went to the BJP. He claimed that the INDIA alliance's poor performance in the Maharashtra Assembly polls, despite a Lok Sabha majority, prompted a deeper data review that revealed suspicious voting patterns.
Tejashwi Yadav, who was alongside Rahul Gandhi, heavily criticised the Election Commission of India for its decision to revise electoral rolls ahead of the assembly election in Bihar, calling it a "Godi Aayog."
Yadav accused the NDA alliance of using the Election Commission of India to remove the name of "Bihar's poor people" from the voter list.