New Delhi [India], June 9 : Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Monday slammed Rahul Gandhi over his allegations concerning Maharashtra assembly polls, saying that the Congress leader is making such remarks after losing the polls and it is not good "to dismiss a mandate".
"It is not good to dismiss a mandate given by the people. You lose and now say all this," Gadkari told ANI in an interview.
Rahul Gandhi had alleged "rigging" in Maharashtra assembly polls and called upon the Election Commission to publish consolidated, digital, machine-readable voter rolls for the most recent elections to the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabhas of all states, including Maharashtra, saying that "telling the truth" will protect poll panel's credibility.
In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi, who is Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, referred to the ECI's response to his allegations concerning Maharashtra polls and said "releasing unsigned, evasive notes to intermediaries is not the way to respond to serious questions".
Rahul Gandhi had written an article in an English daily on the issue.
Election Commission sources had said that the poll panel wrote a detailed letter to Congress in December last year rejecting its "misleading" claims about voter turnout data in Maharashtra polls and, instead of writing to the poll panel directly, Rahul Gandhi keeps speaking and writing to media seeking answers to his "same unfounded doubts again and again".
They said it is not clear as to why Rahul Gandhi is shying away from writing to EC in person himself and get a reply.
ECI sources had said that the poll panel had extended an invitation to the Indian National Congress (INC) for interaction, which was scheduled for May 15. However, the meeting was later cancelled at the request of INC itself.
Gadkari also countered Gandhi's "Narender-Surrender" jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Gandhi had claimed that cessation of hostilities with Pakistan following Operation Sindoor had been done with mediation of US President Donald Trump.
"The citizens of the country know our government is very sensitive to the matter, how it works, how we respond and how we protect our people. We have almost ended Naxal activities in the country. (Improved) law and order is an achievement of our government," the Union Minister said.
Asked about the tragic stampede outside Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy Stadium, in which 11 people died during Royal Challengers Bengaluru's IPL victory celebrations, Gadkari said Karnataka government should look into the lapses.
"An inquiry is being held into the matter. Where the lapses happened, Karnataka government needs to work on it," the Union Minister stated.