Kannur (Keralam), Nov 11 (PTI) AICC general secretary K C Venugopal on Wednesday accused the BJP of "attempting to manipulate political parties" over the proposed delimitation exercise and said that the move was an attack on democracy.

    Speaking to reporters here, Venugopal said the Parliament had not been prorogued for the past 95 days, pointing out that normally, the President issues an order proroguing the House a day after the conclusion of a session.

    He said only a few days were left for the Winter Session to commence.

    Venugopal alleged that the BJP was waiting to see whether it could win over political parties such as the DMK, Shiv Sena and NCP before moving ahead with the delimitation bill.

    "What kind of democracy is this? This is an attack on democracy and the Constitution," he alleged, adding that the BJP was attempting to sabotage democracy by denying people's votes, with the support of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC).

    Accusing CEC Gyanesh Kumar of being a "thief", Venugopal alleged that an official was directly aiding attempts to "murder democracy."

    "We will not rest until he is removed. We will not rest until a system that ensures free and fair elections is established in this country," he said.

    The Congress would put an end to the BJP's practice of winning elections through "vote theft" and then claiming the mandate to govern, he added.

    On the criticism by the BJP and right-wing groups against Congress leader Sonia Gandhi over her recently released autobiography, "Belonging: A Journey of Love", Venugopal said she was a great leader who had declined the prime minister's post despite having the opportunity to occupy it.

    He said Sonia Gandhi had given up the post to prevent the country from falling into the hands of forces spreading communal hatred. "How long will Sonia Gandhi continue to be targeted like this," he asked.

    Venugopal said he had read around 30 pages of the book and described it as a heartfelt and beautiful account of her life.

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