New Delhi [India], August 11 : Amid ongoing chaos over the alleged "vote theft", Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday accused the opposition of not believing in the constitution and said that "these people" don't have faith in democracy.
In a veiled attack against Congress and the Gandhi family, Rijiju argued that whatever one party, one family does according to their whims can't be constitutional.
"These people (INDIA alliance) do not believe in the constitution. Whatever one party, one family, or one person does according to one's whims cannot be constitutional. Those people do not believe in the constitution. We are from a democratic party. These people do not have any faith in democracy," Rijiju said.
His remarks came as the opposition MPs were detained by the Delhi police this morning for protesting the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar, following allegations of "vote theft," after they were denied permission to march to the EC office.
The allegations levelled by Congress leader and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi have sparked massive political controversy across the country, with the ruling side alleging that it was an attempt to create "anarchy" and further charging them of "working" against the constitution.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut and TMC MP Sagarika Ghose were also among those detained by the police. The detained MPs were corralled into a bus to be taken to the Parliament Street police station.
While being detained, Rahul Gandhi told reporters, "The reality is that they cannot talk. The truth is in front of the country. This fight is not political. This fight is to save the Constitution. This fight is for One Man, One Vote. We want a clean, pure voters list."
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra told ANI, "Dare hue hai. Sarkaar kaayar hai" (They are scared. The Government is a coward).
Gandhi linked the INDIA bloc leaders' march to the Election Commission as a "fight to save the Constitution" and demanded a "pure" voters list. At the same time, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi accused the BJP-led Union government of being "scared".
This development came as the Secretariat of the Election Commission of India wrote to Congress MP Jairam Ramesh, granting an appointment for interaction at noon today.
"EC has granted an appointment for an interaction at noon today. It is requested that, due to the limitation of space, names of up to 30 persons may kindly be intimated," the letter read.
On August 7, Rahul Gandhi held a press conference, citing internal analysis. The LoP stated that the Congress expected to win 16 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka but ended up with only nine.
He said the Congress investigated seven unexpected losses, zeroing in on Mahadevapura, where he alleged vote theft involving 100,250 votes. Presenting Congress's research on voting in the Mahadevapura Assembly in Karnataka, Rahul Gandhi alleged "vote chori" (vote theft) of 100,250 votes.
"We found 100,250 votes stolen in five different ways. Duplicate voters, fake and invalid addresses, and bulk voters in a single address, in a building with 50-60 people living. But when we go there, there is no record of those people living there. One family living in that house," he said.
The Election Commission on Monday said that Rahul Gandhi "still has time" to submit a formal declaration to substantiate his allegation of "vote theft" or apologise to the country. The Karnataka CEO on Sunday asked Congress MP Rahul Gandhi to submit documents to inquire into his "vote theft" allegations against the Election Commission of India.