Jairam attacked Congress for spreading anarchy and mistrust

 Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister Jairam Thakur, while addressing a press conference at Ashiana Restaurant, The Ridge, Shimla, launched a strong attack on the Congress and the INDIA alliance over their allegations against the Election Commission.

Thakur alleged that Congress and its allies had failed to achieve their political objectives through the democratic process and were therefore trying to create an atmosphere of distrust and disorder around constitutional institutions.

He said that on the one hand Congress leaders travel across the country carrying copies of the Constitution and speak about their commitment to constitutional values, while on the other hand they make what he described as baseless allegations against constitutional institutions such as the Election Commission.

Referring to Rahul Gandhi’s recent presentations, Thakur said allegations cannot become facts merely by being presented through PowerPoint presentations at press conferences.

Thakur said the Election Commission’s meeting and the subsequent clarification had brought greater clarity to the controversy. According to him, the letter being referred to was addressed to the Cabinet Secretary and was not related to any policy matter of the Election Commission or to SIR, but concerned the administrative functioning of an officer serving on deputation.

He further argued that had there been a formal dissenting note, it would have formed part of the official record. He said decisions in a three-member Election Commission are taken by majority and accused Congress of attempting to create a controversy over an issue which, according to him, did not exist in the manner being projected.

Thakur also referred extensively to the history of the Election Commission and several former Chief Election Commissioners. He cited the tenures of Sukumar Sen, Kalyan Sundaram, Nagendra Singh, T. Swaminathan, R.K. Trivedi, V.S. Ramadevi, T.N. Seshan and M.S. Gill while arguing that Congress should also examine the history of constitutional institutions during its own periods in government.

Referring specifically to M.S. Gill, Thakur said that after completing his tenure as Chief Election Commissioner, Gill subsequently joined the Congress, entered the Rajya Sabha and served as a Union Minister.

Thakur also referred to historical instances of booth capturing and voters allegedly being prevented from reaching polling stations. He said India had witnessed such phases in its electoral history, whereas today voters are able to exercise their franchise and elect governments through a much more established democratic process.

Questioning Congress’s allegations of “vote theft”, Thakur cited the party’s long absence from power in states including West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and Tamil Nadu.

He asked, “Was there vote theft in Himachal Pradesh as well? Was there vote theft in Karnataka? If the Election Commission is acceptable when Congress forms a government, why is the same institution questioned when Congress loses an election?”

Thakur also criticised the Congress protest outside the Election Commission office in Himachal Pradesh. He alleged that people holding constitutional positions participated in a demonstration in which the Election Commission’s signboard was blackened and its effigy was kicked.

He said it was contradictory to attack the same constitutional institution that conducted the elections through which the present Congress government came to power in Himachal Pradesh.

Referring to the Congress Working Committee meeting, Thakur said Congress had every right to hold its meetings and discuss political issues, but added that the country would function according to the Constitution, constitutional arrangements and constitutional institutions, not according to the Congress Working Committee.

Thakur said the BJP would respond to Congress’s allegations democratically and take its position before the people.

“We have complete faith in democracy and constitutional institutions. We will place the facts before the people and respond democratically to the allegations being made against these institutions,” he said.