New Delhi, Dec 9 (PTI) The BJP on Tuesday dismissed Rahul Gandhi's accusations against the Centre regarding election commissioners' appointment as "full of lies" and alleged that the leader of opposition
deliberately spoke in English on the issue in the Lok Sabha to project India's poll process as a fraud before the world.
National spokesperson of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Sambit Patra categorically rejected the Congress leader's allegation that the Modi government has granted immunity to election commissioners from any prosecution and accused him of spreading "misinformation".
"This is absolutely wrong.... In (independent) India's history of 75 years, you show me which election commissioner was ever prosecuted till date. They have legal immunity since India got freedom," Patra told reporters in the Parliament House complex.
Participating in a discussion in the Lok Sabha on election reforms on Tuesday, Gandhi accused the BJP of indulging in the "biggest anti-national act" by committing "vote chori" (vote theft) in collusion with the Election Commission (EC) and destroying the idea of India.
Posing three questions that he claimed make it clear that the BJP is "directing and using" the EC to damage India's democracy, the Congress leader asked why was the chief justice of India removed from the selection panel for the appointment of the chief election commissioner (CEC) and election commissioners.
Hitting back at him, Patra said, "What Rahul Gandhi said in the House was full of lies.... He tried to spread misinformation and that too in English."
Gandhi chose to speak in English in accordance with a "well-thought-out design" to denigrate the constitutional institutions of India, particularly its electoral process, "in the international arena", the BJP leader alleged.
"You should not think that he spoke in English without giving any thought to it. Rahul Gandhi acted on the instructions of (Hungarian-American investor George) Soros so that the EC and the election process are seen as a fraud abroad," he added.
Patra alleged that during the Congress rule, election commissioners were "selected" by the "ruling dispensation and the Gandhi parivar".
"Rahul Gandhi should know that till the Congress was in power, there was no provision for the selection of election commissioners by a committee," he said.
Patra said after Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power, for the first time, a system was put in place whereby the leader of opposition (LoP) was made part of a committee to select election commissioners.
Lashing out at Gandhi over his "vote chori" charge, Patra said the Congress leader is insulting the voters of the country with such remarks and dared him to challenge last month's Bihar poll results.
"The Indian law provides that you can approach a court and challenge any poll outcome or its process within 45 days. And this law has not been enacted by the Modi government. It has been there since India got independence.
"Gandhi and his party still have 20 days left to approach the court and challenge the Bihar poll results. The CCTV footage is still safely kept. He can demand the CCTV footage if he wants to but he should not lie in Parliament," the BJP leader said.
He accused Gandhi of threatening the EC and election commissioners while speaking in the Lok Sabha. "Nobody would have seen earlier that any LoP or leader in the House is threatening the Election Commission and election commissioners," he said, attributing it to the Congress leader's "arrogance and ignorance".
Slamming the leader of opposition, the BJP wrote on its official X handle: "Rahul Gandhi lies in Parliament."
"Rahul Gandhi says Election Commissioners used to be selected by a committee consisting of CJI and LoP," it said. "Can Rahul name one election commissioner during Congress govt chosen by committee with either CJI or LoP?" the saffron party asked.
The committee was made temporarily till a new law was enacted, it added.
The BJP claimed that election commissioners were "directly" appointed by the prime minister during the Congress rule.
"Did Rahul Gandhi forget his UPA rule?" it asked.
The ruling party alleged that in 2005, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi appointed Navin Chawla as an election commissioner, asking what authority she had to do so.
"In 2012, a new Chief Election Commissioner was to be appointed to overlook (oversee) Lok Sabha 2014. L K Advani ji suggested Congress to make a collegium to select CEC. Congress ignored it and directly appointed V S Sampath as CEC, immediately got clearance from President Pratibha Patil," the party charged.
"The Opposition wasn't even taken into confidence on appointment," it added.
The BJP pointed out that as the leader of opposition, Gandhi is part of the panel to select the CEC.
"Instead of constructively assisting in the selection of new CEC, all Rahul Gandhi does is drama," it added. PTI PK RC
