‘No mat-matantar’ in EC: Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel backs poll panel, alleges Congress bid to weaken its credibility

Gujarat Chief Minister on Sunday targeted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over the latter’s remarks against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Centre and alleged that the Opposition party was targeting constitutional authorities like the Election Commission and Supreme Court and trying to weaken their credibility to save its political existence.

Addressing media persons at the Gujarat BJP state headquarters, Shree Kamalam, in Gandhinagar, Patel questioned the remarks made by the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha following a report in The Indian Express which said that two Election Commissioners in the three-member Election Commission of India objected 14 times in 10 months to decisions taken related to Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

“In our country, which is considered the world’s largest democracy, there is a fair, neutral, and unquestionable electoral process. The Election Commission has been granted full autonomy, and it conducts elections across the nation with total dedication and transparency. However, unfortunately, the very people who destroyed the autonomy of the Election Commission during their own rule are today pointing fingers at an Election Commission which functions transparently,” Patel argued.

“The allegations made against the elections by Rahul Baba (Rahul Gandhi) & company and the opposition parties are false, and I strongly condemn such allegations. The strength of our democracy lies not just in holding elections, but in ensuring that the name of every eligible citizen is properly registered in the voters’ list and that they are able to exercise their right to vote. Form No. 6 is an important form for the registration of new voters. The Supreme Court has also upheld Form No. 6 as appropriate. It is not proper to view the special process for SIR and the general voter registration process as the same thing. The Election Commission has also clarified that the SIR process is ongoing in various parts of the country, and wherever the process has been completed, further work is underway. Additionally, the Election Commission has also stated that care is being taken to ensure no eligible citizen is deprived of his voting rights,” Patel said.

The CM further said, “Therefore, allegations of ‘mat-matantar (differences)’ within the Election Commission are entirely baseless. All three commissioners, including the Chief Election Commissioner, have clarified that all decisions regarding SIR were taken unanimously. This clarification itself proves that Rahul (Gandhi) & company are merely employing false gimmicks to stay in the public eye.”

Accusing the Congress of double standards, CM Patel said, “Whenever they win elections, they talk about the victory of democracy and the neutrality of the Election Commission; but whenever the mandate goes to the BJP under the leadership of PM Modi, they start singing false tunes of “vote chori” and irregularities.”

The Gujarat CM also talked about the ‘politics of development’ initiated by PM Modi in the last 25 years and added that it has strengthened people’s trust in democracy. He added that the Congress has not been able to tolerate the success of PM Modi and the BJP.

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“Congress, which ruled for decades after independence, cannot tolerate the success of PM Modi and the BJP. To save its own existence, it has now raised questions against an autonomous institution like the Election Commission. For its own political interests, Congress is attempting to weaken the credibility of constitutional bodies like the Election Commission, Supreme Court, and others by repeatedly raising questions about them.”

He said that instead of making baseless allegations against constitutional bodies, the Congress should respect facts.

“The people of the country now fully understand Congress, and in the uproar they have created over the SIR issue, they will expose themselves and sink even lower in the eyes of the public. Though the opposition may try to impose its ill intentions on the public, the citizens of the country are smart and wise. I am fully confident that 140 crore countrymen will not let their conspiracy succeed,” CM Patel added.