Your letter to PM out of compulsion to market a failed product: Nadda to Kharge
New Delhi (PTI): BJP president J P Nadda on Thursday accused Rahul Gandhi of having a history of abusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and OBCs, and of siding with anti-India forces, days after the opposition party charged ruling alliance members with using violent language against the Leader of Opposition.
In a tit for tat response after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge wrote to Modi over some members of the BJP-led NDA using "extremely objectionable" statements against Gandhi, Nadda cited his party's own litany of complaints against the LoP and other Congress members for their choice of words against the prime minister.
Nadda said Gandhi has a history of calling the entire Other Backward Classes, including the PM, a "thief" and using extremely indecent words against Modi.
"Under what compulsion are you trying to justify Rahul Gandhi," the BJP president asked his Congress counterpart in a three-page letter written in Hindi.
He claimed that Kharge's letter was driven by his political compulsion to market a "failed product" repeatedly rejected by people.
He told the Congress president, "Your comments are far from truth. It appears from your letter that you have either forgotten the misdeeds of Gandhi and other leaders or have deliberately ignored them."
Kharge had on Tuesday raised with Modi the issue of "extremely objectionable" and violent statements by ruling alliance members targeting Gandhi and urged him to discipline his leaders.
In his letter, the Congress leader demanded that strict legal action should be taken against those giving such statements so that Indian politics can be prevented from degenerating and nothing untoward happens.
The world is shocked that a Union minister and a minister from Uttar Pradesh are calling Gandhi "number one terrorist", while a Shiv Sena MLA announced a reward of Rs 11 lakh to the person who "cuts off the tongue of the Leader of the Opposition and brings it to him", he had said.
Hitting back, Nadda said Gandhi had once spoken of people "beating up" Modi with baton, betraying his "disrespectful" mindset.
His mother Sonia Gandhi, he added, had once called Modi, then Gujarat chief minister, "maut ka saudagar", he added.
He told Kharge in his letter, "You and your party leaders kept glorifying such unfortunate and shameful comments. Why had the Congress then forgotten about political probity?"
In a swipe, Nadda said it might be Kharge's compulsion to defend a failed product and even glorify it, but as the Congress president he should have introspected as well.
He claimed that Congress leaders in the last 10 years have abused Modi 110 times, accusing the opposition party of double standards.
Nadda alleged no leader in the history of independent India was "insulted" as much as Modi was by Congress leaders, citing several objectionable remarks used for the prime minister over the years.
The BJP president asked if the Congress feels proud of Gandhi because he pallies with anti-India and pro-Pakistan forces, and seeks foreign intervention in Indian democracy.
He alleged that Gandhi has repeatedly insulted the Hindu sanatan culture, sought evidence of armed forces' bravery and used controversial remarks for Sikhs.
Naming Congress leaders like Sam Pitroda, Shashi Tharoor, Digvijay Singh, P Chidambaram, K Suresh and Imran Masood, Nadda claimed that Congress leaders did everything to defame the country.
Congress leaders instigated people and regions against each other and pro-Pakistan slogans were raised in their programmes, he alleged.
He said, "If anyone has defamed and insulted the Indian democracy the most, it is the Congress party."
Nadda cited the imposition of Emergency, the Congress' alleged support to triple talaq, and claimed that the Congress is selling the poison of casteism and anti-national content from its so called "mohabbat ki dukan".
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
