Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 31 Oct: BJP has termed the Opposition’s ‘Jan Mahabhiyog’ campaign and the proposed November 1 rally as an expression of frustration and desperation among parties that have repeatedly faced electoral rejection. State BJP president and Rajya Sabha MP Mahendra Bhatt today alleged that those who had earlier attempted to turn Parliament into a platform for street politics are now staging what he described as a “Parliament on the streets”.
Addressing the media here today, Bhatt said the public is closely watching those who, according to him, have weakened the electoral process in the past but are now claiming to be fighting to save the country and protect votes. Taking a swipe at the Congress in Uttarakhand, he said the party neither possesses a strong organisational structure in the state nor enjoys public acceptance. He remarked that for the Congress, both Delhi and Dehradun remain distant political destinations.
Launching a sharp attack on the Congress and the INDIA bloc over the ‘Jan Mahabhiyog’ programme and the proposed ‘Desh Bachao, Vote Bachao’ rally in Delhi, Bhatt alleged that parties which have repeatedly failed to earn the trust of voters through democratic means are now attempting to discredit the country’s constitutional electoral processes. He claimed that the proposed rally was part of a broader effort to malign constitutional institutions.
Bhatt alleged that the Congress and its allies are acting out of frustration over repeated electoral defeats and public rejection.
Referring to allegations levelled by Opposition parties against the Election Commission, he said that the same institution under whose supervision elections were conducted has enabled Congress and Opposition parties to form governments in several states. He accused the Opposition of attempting to obstruct constitutional electoral procedures by spreading what he described as a narrative of vote theft.
The BJP leader further alleged that the Opposition opposes electoral verification processes because such exercises can prevent the inclusion of names of deceased persons and infiltrators in voter rolls and thereby curb fraudulent voting practices. He alleged that parties now criticising the system had, while in power, facilitated voting rights for infiltrators, compromising both the electoral process and national security. According to him, the current campaign is aimed at weakening democratic and constitutional institutions such as the Election Commission and creating disorder in the country.
Questioning the timing of the Opposition rally, Bhatt said it is being organised on 1 November, the anniversary of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. He alleged that the Congress, which has long faced allegations regarding the riots, is insensitive to the memories of the victims by holding the rally on that date. He claimed that the decision amounted to reopening old wounds for those affected by the violence.
Commenting on claims regarding participation by Congress workers from Uttarakhand in the Delhi rally, Bhatt reiterated that Congress lacks both a strong organisation and a committed cadre in the state. Referring to the BJP’s successive victories in Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, he said electoral results clearly demonstrated that the people of Uttarakhand were not supporting the Congress.
He alleged that the Opposition had previously attempted to replicate political narratives witnessed in countries such as Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, but said such efforts had repeatedly failed because the public had rejected them. He maintained that the people would continue to place their faith in democratic institutions and the constitutional electoral process.
