Rahul's poll fraud allegation a calculated deceit Cong's larger conspiracy against democracy BJP

     New Delhi, Aug 7 (PTI) The BJP on Thursday termed Rahul Gandhi’s allegation of poll fraud against the Election Commission a “calculated deceit” and accused the Congress of “systematically” attacking constitutional institutions under a larger conspiracy against India's democracy and the Constitution.
     Senior leaders of the ruling party took on Gandhi for questioning election results, with Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan labelling him "bayan bahadur" (someone who makes tall claims) and accusing him of insulting the “discerning decision” of the people.
     He (Gandhi) has completely lost his composure in the agony of losing power, Pradhan said in a post on X.
     “The ideologically hollow Congress party is systematically attacking constitutional institutions. It cannot be ruled out that there is a larger conspiracy against India's democracy and Constitution behind this calculated deceit,” the senior BJP leader said in a post on X.
     Hitting out at the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said voters will continue to reject the Congress for such “irresponsible and shameless” character and conduct.
     Gandhi has called the Election Commission a fraud, crossing all limits of “shamelessness”, the BJP leader charged.
     The Congress leader has made allegations against the poll panel out of “frustration and anger” because people are not giving their mandate to the Congress, he said.
     Pradhan lashed out at Gandhi for “double standards” over the election results and said he should understand that his family's victory is not the definition of democracy.
     This came after Gandhi claimed before the media here that an analysis of the voter data pertaining to a Lok Sabha constituency in Karnataka showed that elections were rigged by the Election Commission at the behest of the BJP to help the saffron party “steal” votes and win the seat in the 2024 general elections.
     There is a huge “criminal fraud” being perpetrated across the country by the Election Commission and the “party in power”, the Congress leader charged, targeting the BJP.
     Union minister Kiren Rijiju rejected Gandhi's allegations as bogus and claimed that he has been peddling fake information provided by an NGO, whom he did not name.
     There is no substance in his allegation, he said, alleging that he is doing "dangerous" work by tarnishing the EC and weakening the Indian democracy.
     Speaking to reporters, Prasad said, “Narendra Modiji has been winning elections since 2015, and you (Rahul Gandhi) are calling that also a fraud. You are insulting the people of the country who voted for Modiji for his work, honesty and progress of the country under his leadership."
     “You keep roaming across the country to get bail in defamation cases and you call somebody a fraud. I strongly condemn Rahul Gandhi for his utterances. He is irresponsible and does not know what to speak, even about the constitutional body,” the senior BJP leader added.
     Pradhan said that the Gandhi family's history is filled with the dark chapter of the Emergency.
     The Election Commission is good when the Congress wins and is biased when it defeated, he said.
     Rahul Gandhi needs to understand that his family's victory is not the definition of democracy, he added.
     “Where was Rahul Gandhi when the Election Commission invited every party to file complaints regarding SIR in Bihar?” Pradhan asked, adding, “Neither Congress nor any party from the INDI alliance approached the Election Commission at that time.”
     People of Bihar are now ready to give a befitting reply to “such opponents” of democracy and the Constitution, Pradhan said.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)